Episode 22: Hazel Smith CA
Listen to our latest ICAS podcast episode focusing on the support offered by the ICAS Foundation.
Hazel Smith CA shares her journey from studying economics and finance at the University of Strathclyde to the present day, where she works in external audit for Bentley’s Chartered Accountants in Brisbane.
Hazel has been able to fulfil a life dream of hers, moving to Australia. During her conversation with Indy, she talks of how the ICAS Foundation provided support in the form of mentoring, funding and networking opportunities in order to facilitate her move to Australia and work as a CA there.
“The ICAS Foundation were really supportive of me, and they helped me to understand all of the different pathways to be able to obtain a CA.”
The ICAS Foundation has been providing bursaries and mentoring for 10 years, and during that period has supported over 300 young people from less advantaged backgrounds to study finance and accounting at University.
As a charity that relies on donations, the Foundation couldn’t do what they do without the help of ICAS members, and they need your support more than ever before. Applications continue to rise each year, and this year we saw a record-breaking number of young people apply for funding.
There is a direct correlation between the donations we receive in any given year and the number of young people we can support. There are a significant number of talented young people that apply to our programme that are motivated to be the CAs of tomorrow, but we have to turn them away We need your help to support the next generation of CAs, whether that’s by making a donation, volunteering your time to become a mentor, or providing an internship. Every contribution, big or small, really does help the ICAS Foundation to increase social mobility for hundreds of young people in the UK.
