The foundation effect
The ICAS Foundation is shaping the future of accountancy, supporting those from lower-income backgrounds to enter the financial professions. Julie Burniston speaks to four alumni whose lives have been transformed by its Nurturing Talent programme
The foundation effect
The ICAS Foundation is shaping the future of accountancy, supporting those from lower-income backgrounds to enter the financial professions. Julie Burniston speaks to four alumni whose lives have been transformed by its Nurturing Talent programme
This autumn marks a landmark moment for the ICAS Foundation. The 100th graduate of its programme has now begun CA training, while the 50th foundation-supported CA is expected to qualify before the end of the year. In just over a decade, the charity has grown from a bold idea into a proven force for change.
The mission is simple but powerful: to open doors to the financial professions for talented young people from lower-income backgrounds. The charity does this by removing financial barriers, opening doors, building confidence and connecting students with people who’ve walked the path before them – including the growing number of alumni keen to give back. Bursaries, mentoring and tailored support with professional connections are the practical tools – but the programme is much more than the sum of its parts. It recognises, holds and nurtures talent, often through adversity. The success of people who've been through the programme is testament to this.
Today, ICAS Foundation alumni are making their mark across the accountancy sector. They bring with them resilience, fresh perspectives and lived experience. Their journeys show that social mobility is about more than fairness – it strengthens the profession by ensuring the brightest minds succeed, whatever their background.
Current students address the ICAS Foundation Programme Conference, in a panel chaired by alumna and trustee Eryn Paterson CA
Current students address the ICAS Foundation Programme Conference, in a panel chaired by alumna and trustee Eryn Paterson CA
Looking ahead, the foundation has set its sights high: tripling the number of students supported by 2030. Achieving that will require commitment from across the profession – from firms, members and partners who believe that opportunity should be open to all.
Meanwhile, to celebrate the 100th graduate, CA magazine asked four alumni to relive their journeys before, during and after their first encounters with the ICAS Foundation.
This autumn marks a landmark moment for the ICAS Foundation. The 100th graduate of its programme has now begun CA training, while the 50th foundation-supported CA is expected to qualify before the end of the year. In just over a decade, the charity has grown from a bold idea into a proven force for change.
The mission is simple but powerful: to open doors to the financial professions for talented young people from lower-income backgrounds. The charity does this by removing financial barriers, opening doors, building confidence and connecting students with people who’ve walked the path before them – including the growing number of alumni keen to give back. Bursaries, mentoring and tailored support with professional connections are the practical tools – but the programme is much more than the sum of its parts. It recognises, holds and nurtures talent, often through adversity. The success of people who've been through the programme is testament to this.
Today, ICAS Foundation alumni are making their mark across the accountancy sector. They bring with them resilience, fresh perspectives and lived experience. Their journeys show that social mobility is about more than fairness – it strengthens the profession by ensuring the brightest minds succeed, whatever their background.
Current students address the ICAS Foundation Programme Conference, in a panel chaired by alumna and trustee Eryn Paterson CA
Current students address the ICAS Foundation Programme Conference, in a panel chaired by alumna and trustee Eryn Paterson CA
Looking ahead, the foundation has set its sights high: tripling the number of students supported by 2030. Achieving that will require commitment from across the profession – from firms, members and partners who believe that opportunity should be open to all.
Meanwhile, to celebrate the 100th graduate, CA magazine asked four alumni to relive their journeys before, during and after their first encounters with the ICAS Foundation.
Lewis Wilshire CA
Assistant Manager, Hall Morrice, Aberdeen
Growing up on the Isle of Mull, Lewis Wilshire CA never imagined he would one day qualify as a CA and be named among the profession’s rising stars. “I come from a family where no one is a professional, and I didn’t know a single chartered accountant,” he explains. “University always felt like something for wealthy families, and I hadn’t considered it in my plans.”
His school had just 150 pupils, with only a handful from his year going on to higher education. Initially planning to leave early and join the RAF, Wilshire was persuaded by his physics teacher to consider university – a decision that proved transformative.
Achieving four As and a C in his first sitting of highers opened the door to the University of Stirling, chosen for its affordability. “I’d already budgeted everything down to the last penny and it was the cheapest option,” he recalls.
Even then, money was still tight. Wilshire worked 85 hours a week during the summer so he could focus on his degree during term time. It was around then that the ICAS Foundation entered his life. A teacher alerted him to the opportunity, and Wilshire successfully applied.
“The foundation provided me with a significant annual bursary, but honestly, the money was only half the story,” he reflects. “What really mattered was that they believed in me. When you come from a family background outside the professions, having someone say, ‘We’ll support you because we think you can succeed,’ that means everything.”
The mentoring scheme was equally vital. “Having a mentor who was already a CA was a game-changer. When I doubted myself, when I felt like I didn’t belong, I had someone to call who understood. That gave me the courage to keep going.”
“When you come from a background like mine, having someone say ‘We’ll support you because we think you can succeed’ means everything”
After graduation, Wilshire’s career path wasn’t straightforward. Battling personal challenges, he briefly left accountancy and returned to Mull, working in the local Co-op during the pandemic. With encouragement from former teachers, family and friends, and renewed confidence, he reapplied for roles in the profession, eventually securing a position in Aberdeen in 2021. Four years on and now a CA, he is already handling managerial responsibilities and is aiming to progress further at the firm.
“Without the ICAS Foundation, I wouldn’t be sitting here as a qualified CA. They gave me belief and that changed everything. It feels amazing to give back by becoming a mentor there myself. If I can be that voice of encouragement for someone else, that’s a legacy I’m proud of.”
Lewis Wilshire CA
Assistant Manager, Hall Morrice, Aberdeen
Growing up on the Isle of Mull, Lewis Wilshire CA never imagined he would one day qualify as a CA and be named among the profession’s rising stars. “I come from a family where no one is a professional, and I didn’t know a single chartered accountant,” he explains. “University always felt like something for wealthy families, and I hadn’t considered it in my plans.”
His school had just 150 pupils, with only a handful from his year going on to higher education. Initially planning to leave early and join the RAF, Wilshire was persuaded by his physics teacher to consider university – a decision that proved transformative.
Achieving four As and a C in his first sitting of highers opened the door to the University of Stirling, chosen for its affordability. “I’d already budgeted everything down to the last penny and it was the cheapest option,” he recalls.
Even then, money was still tight. Wilshire worked 85 hours a week during the summer so he could focus on his degree during term time. It was around then that the ICAS Foundation entered his life. A teacher alerted him to the opportunity, and Wilshire successfully applied.
“The foundation provided me with a significant annual bursary, but honestly, the money was only half the story,” he reflects. “What really mattered was that they believed in me. When you come from a family background outside the professions, having someone say, ‘We’ll support you because we think you can succeed,’ that means everything.”
The mentoring scheme was equally vital. “Having a mentor who was already a CA was a game-changer. When I doubted myself, when I felt like I didn’t belong, I had someone to call who understood. That gave me the courage to keep going.”
“When you come from a background like mine, having someone say ‘We’ll support you because we think you can succeed’ means everything”
After graduation, Wilshire’s career path wasn’t straightforward. Battling personal challenges, he briefly left accountancy and returned to Mull, working in the local Co-op during the pandemic. With encouragement from former teachers, family and friends, and renewed confidence, he reapplied for roles in the profession, eventually securing a position in Aberdeen in 2021. Four years on and now a CA, he is already handling managerial responsibilities and is aiming to progress further at the firm.
“Without the ICAS Foundation, I wouldn’t be sitting here as a qualified CA. They gave me belief and that changed everything. It feels amazing to give back by becoming a mentor there myself. If I can be that voice of encouragement for someone else, that’s a legacy I’m proud of.”
Cara McNaught CA
Auditor, Audit Scotland, Glasgow
For Cara McNaught CA, the ICAS Foundation was the bridge between potential and opportunity. Growing up in Glasgow, she knew that she wanted to do something that utilised the maths she loved, but had no one to turn to for advice. Having settled on accountancy as a good fit for her career, she got a useful tip from one of her teachers. “He told me about the ICAS Foundation and helped me apply,” she recalls. “I still remember the letter saying I’d been awarded the bursary and mentorship – I was like, ‘Oh wow, that’s amazing!’”
With her sights set on the University of Glasgow, McNaught had to fight for her place: “I did well at school, but not well enough to get an unconditional offer. I had to go to summer school between the sixth year and university. Luckily, that was enough to get me in.”
The foundation bursary eased the financial pressure of studying. “The money helped pay for travel to uni and the textbooks,” she recalls.
“I still remember the letter saying I’d been awarded the bursary and mentorship– I was like, ‘Oh wow, that’s amazing!’”
McNaught’s biggest challenge came when she decided to do her third year at the University of Western Australia as part of a study abroad programme. “I stayed with my cousin, but because of visa restrictions, I struggled to get a part-time job. By the second semester, I was running out of money – and that’s when the foundation stepped in with extra funding, which was a great help.”
The experience gave McNaught clarity. “I came back knowing I needed a break before starting CA training,” she says. “Talking it through with my mentor gave me the confidence to take a year out to work in a finance role, and that probably helped me get the job I have now.”
McNaught joined Audit Scotland in 2020 and qualified as a CA in 2024. She is now a mentor for the ICAS Foundation. “It’s nice being able to give back. I always tell my mentee: make sure you actually use the people around you. Having a mentor really does make all the difference.”
Cara McNaught CA
Auditor, Audit Scotland, Glasgow
For Cara McNaught CA, the ICAS Foundation was the bridge between potential and opportunity. Growing up in Glasgow, she knew that she wanted to do something that utilised the maths she loved, but had no one to turn to for advice. Having settled on accountancy as a good fit for her career, she got a useful tip from one of her teachers. “He told me about the ICAS Foundation and helped me apply,” she recalls. “I still remember the letter saying I’d been awarded the bursary and mentorship – I was like, ‘Oh wow, that’s amazing!’”
With her sights set on the University of Glasgow, McNaught had to fight for her place: “I did well at school, but not well enough to get an unconditional offer. I had to go to summer school between the sixth year and university. Luckily, that was enough to get me in.”
The foundation bursary eased the financial pressure of studying. “The money helped pay for travel to uni and the textbooks,” she recalls.
“I still remember the letter saying I’d been awarded the bursary and mentorship– I was like, ‘Oh wow, that’s amazing!’”
McNaught’s biggest challenge came when she decided to do her third year at the University of Western Australia as part of a study abroad programme. “I stayed with my cousin, but because of visa restrictions, I struggled to get a part-time job. By the second semester, I was running out of money – and that’s when the foundation stepped in with extra funding, which was a great help.”
The experience gave McNaught clarity. “I came back knowing I needed a break before starting CA training,” she says. “Talking it through with my mentor gave me the confidence to take a year out to work in a finance role, and that probably helped me get the job I have now.”
McNaught joined Audit Scotland in 2020 and qualified as a CA in 2024. She is now a mentor for the ICAS Foundation. “It’s nice being able to give back. I always tell my mentee: make sure you actually use the people around you. Having a mentor really does make all the difference.”
Dean Scobie CA
Audit Supervisor, Consilium Chartered Accountants, Glasgow
For Glasgow-born Dean Scobie CA, higher education was uncharted territory. “I was the first in my family to go to university,” he says. “It wasn’t the normal path where I’m from. My parents were supportive, but nobody knew what it would involve.”
It was in his fifth year of school that Scobie began thinking seriously about his future. “Accountancy just made sense to me and that’s when I heard about the ICAS Foundation,“ he says. “Honestly, everything since then has come from that moment.”
Studying at Glasgow Caledonian University between 2016 and 2020, Scobie was supported throughout. “The ICAS Foundation bursary meant I didn’t need to pick up endless shifts in a part-time job to pay for my books and living costs. That’s a huge pressure off your shoulders when you’re trying to study, and it helped me gain a first-class degree which felt incredible – I was over the moon!”
“The bursary meant I didn’t need to pick up endless shifts in a part-time job to pay for my books and living costs”
Just as important was the mentoring: “My mentor was a CA at Johnston Carmichael. We’d meet every trimester, and I could ask him about exams, internships, interviews. Without him, I probably wouldn’t have gone after internships.”
One such opportunity was at Consilium Chartered Accountants in 2019. “I applied, got a 12-week internship, and at the end they asked me back for a graduate role. Without the foundation, I’d never have had that chance.”
Scobie joined Consilium full-time in September 2020, in the middle of lockdown. “It was strange starting a job from my bedroom,” he says, “but because I’d interned there, I knew people. That made all the difference.” By 2023 he was admitted as a CA and promoted to Audit Supervisor: “Now I manage my own portfolio of clients. The next step is Assistant Manager.”
Keenly aware of what the ICAS Foundation has given him, he also gives back by speaking at its events, and hopes to become a mentor himself. In 2026, he will run the London Marathon, with President Karen Scholes CA, to raise funds for the foundation. “I’ve never done a marathon before,” he says. “But if running 26 miles helps someone else from a background like mine, it’s worth every step.”
Dean Scobie CA
Audit Supervisor, Consilium Chartered Accountants, Glasgow
For Glasgow-born Dean Scobie CA, higher education was uncharted territory. “I was the first in my family to go to university,” he says. “It wasn’t the normal path where I’m from. My parents were supportive, but nobody knew what it would involve.”
It was in his fifth year of school that Scobie began thinking seriously about his future. “Accountancy just made sense to me and that’s when I heard about the ICAS Foundation,“ he says. “Honestly, everything since then has come from that moment.”
Studying at Glasgow Caledonian University between 2016 and 2020, Scobie was supported throughout. “The ICAS Foundation bursary meant I didn’t need to pick up endless shifts in a part-time job to pay for my books and living costs. That’s a huge pressure off your shoulders when you’re trying to study, and it helped me gain a first-class degree which felt incredible – I was over the moon!”
“The bursary meant I didn’t need to pick up endless shifts in a part-time job to pay for my books and living costs”
Just as important was the mentoring: “My mentor was a CA at Johnston Carmichael. We’d meet every trimester, and I could ask him about exams, internships, interviews. Without him, I probably wouldn’t have gone after internships.”
One such opportunity was at Consilium Chartered Accountants in 2019. “I applied, got a 12-week internship, and at the end they asked me back for a graduate role. Without the foundation, I’d never have had that chance.”
Scobie joined Consilium full-time in September 2020, in the middle of lockdown. “It was strange starting a job from my bedroom,” he says, “but because I’d interned there, I knew people. That made all the difference.” By 2023 he was admitted as a CA and promoted to Audit Supervisor: “Now I manage my own portfolio of clients. The next step is Assistant Manager.”
Keenly aware of what the ICAS Foundation has given him, he also gives back by speaking at its events, and hopes to become a mentor himself. In 2026, he will run the London Marathon, with President Karen Scholes CA, to raise funds for the foundation. “I’ve never done a marathon before,” he says. “But if running 26 miles helps someone else from a background like mine, it’s worth every step.”
Hazel Topping CA
Senior Accountant, Slip, Brisbane
Growing up in Glasgow’s East End, Hazel Topping CA never imagined she’d one day be living in Australia, working in her dream job.
“I always enjoyed working with numbers but had no idea what I wanted to do career-wise,” she recalls. A flyer at a school careers assembly led her to apply to the ICAS Foundation. “I applied thinking I would never get it because I was going to the University of Strathclyde to study economics and finance and not accountancy, but thankfully I was accepted and was given a mentor alongside financial help.”
The bursary helped with essentials. “It paid for my laptop – which I still have to this day, 11 years later – train fares and the super-expensive course books I couldn’t have afforded otherwise,” she says.
“This is my dream job and without the foundation helping me pursue the CA qualification, I’d never be here”
With no professional role models at home, Topping’s mentor became her lifeline: “She provided valuable insight into the accountancy profession and was a great sounding board for anything I needed.”
That guidance also opened the door to her dream of living in Australia. “The first conversation I had with my mentor was about how to qualify for a visa. She told me the CA was my pathway and encouraged me to get an internship and a grad job first.”
Through the charity, Topping secured an internship at Consilium Chartered Accountants, where she later trained in audit and corporate finance. Admitted to ICAS in 2021, she made the leap to Australia a year later. Today, she works for Slip, a global beauty brand in Brisbane.
“This is my dream job and without the foundation helping me pursue the CA qualification, I’d never be here. If I could go back and tell the version of me 11 years ago where I’d end up, they’d never believe it. A girl from the East End of Glasgow now living in Australia, doing a job she loves. I guess I’m proof that with the CA, the world is your oyster!”
It’s wonderful to see our alumni thriving in the profession, and to see them recognise the role the foundation programme has played in setting them up for success. With alumni giving back as mentors – and in Dean’s case by taking on the London Marathon – they really are opening doors for their peers to follow.
This year we’ve welcomed 49 new students to the programme, putting us well on track to achieve our goal of tripling the number of students we support. From the graduating class of 32 in 2026, 16 students have already achieved a graduate job offer, following internships. This is real impact, made possible in large part by the generosity of individual CAs who support the charity when they renew their membership, or donate through the year, and by those that come forward as mentors and corporate partners.
Sanjay Singh, Director, ICAS Foundation
Find out more about the ICAS Foundation and donate here
Hazel Topping CA
Senior Accountant, Slip, Brisbane
Growing up in Glasgow’s East End, Hazel Topping CA never imagined she’d one day be living in Australia, working in her dream job.
“I always enjoyed working with numbers but had no idea what I wanted to do career-wise,” she recalls. A flyer at a school careers assembly led her to apply to the ICAS Foundation. “I applied thinking I would never get it because I was going to the University of Strathclyde to study economics and finance and not accountancy, but thankfully I was accepted and was given a mentor alongside financial help.”
The bursary helped with essentials. “It paid for my laptop – which I still have to this day, 11 years later – train fares and the super-expensive course books I couldn’t have afforded otherwise,” she says.
“This is my dream job and without the foundation helping me pursue the CA qualification, I’d never be here”
With no professional role models at home, Topping’s mentor became her lifeline: “She provided valuable insight into the accountancy profession and was a great sounding board for anything I needed.”
That guidance also opened the door to her dream of living in Australia. “The first conversation I had with my mentor was about how to qualify for a visa. She told me the CA was my pathway and encouraged me to get an internship and a grad job first.”
Through the charity, Topping secured an internship at Consilium Chartered Accountants, where she later trained in audit and corporate finance. Admitted to ICAS in 2021, she made the leap to Australia a year later. Today, she works for Slip, a global beauty brand in Brisbane.
“This is my dream job and without the foundation helping me pursue the CA qualification, I’d never be here. If I could go back and tell the version of me 11 years ago where I’d end up, they’d never believe it. A girl from the East End of Glasgow now living in Australia, doing a job she loves. I guess I’m proof that with the CA, the world is your oyster!”
It’s wonderful to see our alumni thriving in the profession, and to see them recognise the role the foundation programme has played in setting them up for success. With alumni giving back as mentors – and in Dean’s case by taking on the London Marathon – they really are opening doors for their peers to follow.
This year we’ve welcomed 49 new students to the programme, putting us well on track to achieve our goal of tripling the number of students we support. From the graduating class of 32 in 2026, 16 students have already achieved a graduate job offer, following internships. This is real impact, made possible in large part by the generosity of individual CAs who support the charity when they renew their membership, or donate through the year, and by those that come forward as mentors and corporate partners.
Sanjay Singh, Director, ICAS Foundation
Find out more about the ICAS Foundation and donate here
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