Penarth Nub News aims to support our community, promoting shops, businesses, charities, clubs and sports groups.

We will be profiling some of these businesses and organisations in a feature called 'Up Close in Penarth'.

Today we met Laure Voisey of "non-money-oriented" accountancy firm Chartright LTD.

Accountancy and altruism are two words seldom placed side-by-side.

But Laure Voisey, founder of Penarth's Chartright Accountants (EBS Voisey and Partners), sees her work as an opportunity to do good for her community.

"That's the thing with accountants - we have a money-grabbing image. But our ethos is very much about looking after small businesses and assisting them in what they need," she tells Nub News. 

Over the past few months, EBS has offered a free Covid-19 accounting clinic to its clients and others in the community.

This means that it has assisted its clients with the often complicated process of obtaining government crisis grants, totally free of charge. 

"We are not money-oriented, we are community-oriented," Laure adds.

"A lot of small businesses in Penarth, they know how to make delicious food, clean windows, sell drinks, wire a house, but they might not know how to access an HMRC grant. We see that as our responsibility to help them do it.

"We just thought it wasn't our place to be taking a share of the grants governments are offering to businesses and employees. If we were taking a cut of it it would make life more difficult for our clients at this difficult at this time. It's a moral decision."

You might be thinking: "isn't it the responsibility of accountancy firms to take care of a businesses finances and help them organise grants?"

Laure agrees. Unfortunately, many accountancy firms across the UK do not. 

"I don't want to paint all accountants with too broad a brush, I'm sure a lot of them have morals, but I also know that most of them took a percentage of the grants they helped their businesses to acquire. This is immoral in my book.

"How can they sleep at night or look at themselves in the mirror?"

Nub News asked Laure why Chartright Accountants were so willing to go above and beyond for their customers at such a difficult time.

"Well, having a free COVID clinic is not really a financial hit for us. It might be in the short term but in the long term, if we help our clients keep going then we will benefit in the long term too.

I don't think you have to separate a moral decision from a business one. Sometimes if you prove you offer an honest service things come back around."

Chartright's clients were certainly appreciative, with many showering Laure and the team in flowers and chocolates. One even offered to fit the office with social distancing shields for free in return.

Another, Herve Femel from Penarth-based civil engineering firm CEBM Ltd had this to say:

"They are the best accountants I've ever had. What's important to me seems to always be important to them. They are kind, helpful and most of all genuine.

"During Covid19, things were really tough… But thanks to my accountant CJRS was organised, so that I could have salaries paid. They also organised Bounce Back Loan and Economic Resilience Funding. Without that, cashflow would have been a real issue. I'm not even sure I would have survived the Covid crisis. 

"We were not charged at all for all the work they did for us in relation to Covid19. I know too that there will not be any disguised charges for that work in the future. I pay a flat rate for my bookkeeping and accounts and that's the end of it. Everything is transparent, no hidden fees!

"I'm just glad that I chose to work with them."

Laure says praise like that makes it all worthwhile.

"It feels great to not be this ruthless corporate entity but a cog in this wonderful community."