Bristol Community Accountants CIC

Bristol Community Accountants CIC (BCA) specialises in providing accounting services to the charity and not-for-profit sector, supporting organisations throughout Bristol and the surrounding area. Our client base is made up of diverse charities, charitable companies, and CICs, all united by their commitment to public benefit. They range from city farms and bereavement counsellors to youth support, homeless aid, and refugee groups. Our Core Services We offer three primary services: a payroll bureau, year-end accounts production with independent examinations, and a bookkeeping service. In addition, we provide bespoke training and extensive free telephone support and guidance. This assistance is not limited to our active clients; we also help newly formed organisations navigate their statutory obligations, empowering them to become confident and compliant from the start. Historically, most of our clients have been small organisations with turnovers under £250,000 per annum. However, we've observed a growing trend over the past year, with an increasing number of clients' turnovers rising above £250,000 and even £500,000. Addressing the Needs of Our Clients Many of our clients rely on volunteer trustee boards and part-time administrative staff who may not have the necessary expertise to handle complex financial governance, such as statutory accounts preparation, payroll management, or detailed charity fund tracking. BCA acts as a vital resource, not only by completing these tasks but also by serving as a crucial point of contact through telephone and online meetings. During the year, we managed a monthly payroll service for 32 clients, with employee numbers ranging from one to nearly 50. This service is essential for organisations with volunteer committees that lack the expertise to manage payroll complexities, including pension compliance, redundancy calculations, and term-time-only payroll. We also conducted 41 independent examinations for local charities and charitable companies. In most cases, we assist trustees and directors in preparing statutory accounts, ensuring they are compliant with the Charities SORP FRS 102, the Charities Act 2011, and the Companies Act 2006. With an increasing number of these charities now required to file corporation tax returns, we prepare and submit these on their behalf. For CICs and NFP companies, we prepared annual accounts for 14 organisations, including the associated corporation tax returns for HMRC. The demand for our bookkeeping service has remained steady, and we now provide regular weekly or monthly services to 19 clients. In addition to the bookkeeping service, we prepare month-end management accounts, which our clients use for reporting to their boards, funders, and stakeholders. This invaluable support allows them to focus on their core public benefit activities, secure in the knowledge that they have robust financial procedures in place. To meet this growing demand, we have hired an additional member of staff to cope with the increased level of work this has generated. Adapting to a Changing Landscape BCA continues to offer bespoke one-on-one training to help organisations effectively maintain their bookkeeping systems. With more clients moving to cloud-based accounting software, this service is in high demand. We provide support that ranges from reviewing existing bookkeeping structures and offering advice for improvement to full training on cloud-based platforms. Clients can get simple queries answered over the telephone or attend a structured training session at the BCA office tailored to their specific needs. The increasing demand for our services and the growing complexity of our clients' needs—driven by changes in legislation, funding requirements, and employment law—underscore the vital role we play. We are committed to remaining an accessible resource for clients who do not have the support structures of larger organisations to cope with the legislative burdens of these changes.