June and I have just visited two of our outstanding branches; Devon and Avon. Devon, because they have the unique distinction that they were awarded LUCA for Branch if the a Year 2019, in the same year that their chair, Caryl Gibson, was awarded the LUCA as Branch Chair of the Year. And Avon because Mike Johnson and his team won the first ever Branch of the Year Award, pre-LUCA but the glass trophy being proudly displayed at the meeting. Thanks to Mike, his support team and the members from the region, Avon remains one of the most active and successful branches.
At both meetings the discussion covered a range of subjects but credibility and money laundering were prominent. We discussed the latest information from HMRC that is tantamount to supporting ICB’s call for our profession to be restricted to people who are qualified. Their suggestion that employees, or indeed suppliers, should be screened to ensure that they are competent and have integrity is a much welcomed development. I am writing a longer article incorporating judgements from a number of recent Court cases. This will be released shortly. It makes interesting reading so please look out for it.
No matter how much we love visiting ICB's branches, I'm glad we're now back home to spend Valentine's Day together just the two of us!
