Our team

Josh is a Director at Burton Sweet, having trained initially as a Chartered Accountant with Moore Stephens LLP. He joined Burton Sweet in 2014, but prior to this spent half a year working overseas with a non-government organisation in Nigeria, where he provided accountancy support and training for local staff and worked on several charitable projects. He is commonly referred to as Charities Partner, due to his vital role within the Charities team.

Josh leads the Bristol office and is the primary Responsible Individual within the firm, signing audit reports and ensuring the firm’s audit compliance. He has a personal connection to Burton Sweet; his father having been a partner for many years.

Josh is a trustee of a charity that provides grants and care for orphans and widows oversees, as well being involved in more local initiatives, including volunteering at a local church with his family. 

‘In my opinion, the expertise and professionalism that Burton Sweet have demonstrated is exhibited and lead by its founder partners and directors.’ – Martyn J Hancock, Volunteer Director & Company Secretary, Accessible Transport 4 U

Ed joined Burton Sweet in 2007 and he is now Head of Charity Development. Ed’s uses his wealth of knowledge of the sector to act as senior advisor to charities and other civil society organisations. Alongside this, Ed runs regular events to support charities  with a range of governance, accounting and finance needs, providing the unique support they require to navigate their specific challenges.

He qualified and trained with a Big 4 accounting firm and also holds the Diploma in Charity Accounting from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, as well as being a Fellow of this body.

Away from Burton Sweet, Ed serves as a trustee and active volunteer for three local charities. He is a cycling fanatic, inspired by the pro-riders at events such as the Tour De France.

Joining Burton Sweet in 1991, Nigel had previously qualified with Grant Thornton. He has also worked as a tax lecturer and run his own practice.

Nigel helps companies, small businesses and not-for-profits, by advising on accounting, business matters, tax and VAT. He has particular interest and expertise in community land trusts and local co-operatives, working with a range of theatres, museums and galleries, as well as across the music and entertainment sector.

For many years, he wrote on practice matters for AccountingWEB.co.uk, the UK’s leading website for accountants, and has written several software guides for the Institute of Charted Accountants in England and Wales IT Faculty. Nigel has championed Xero cloud accounts since they launched in the UK and sat on their Xero Partner Advisory Council, making him an asset to anyone in need of guidance for digital accounting.

Outside of work he is a keen musician and runs a music publishing company.

Michele first joined Burton Sweet in 1997, as an account assistant, and since passing the Chartered Institute of Taxation exams, now works as a Private Client Tax Manager and Chartered Tax Advisor, having returned after ten years with other firms. During this time, her primary focuses have included advising clients with regard to income tax, inheritance tax, trust tax and estate administration. Michele is also a member of the Association of Taxation Technicians.

Drawing from personal experience, Michele is adept and supportive when helping clients deal with probate matters following the loss of a loved one. She has also assisted companies and directors with tax planning, company re-organisation and profit extraction. Her strength is having the twin perspectives of seeing the ‘bigger picture,’ as well as her dedication and care for each individual or business she works with.

Outside the office, Michele loves spending time with her five grandchildren. She is in the process of completing her bucket list goals, having ticked off travelling to New Zealand to visit the filming locations of The Lord of the Rings and has taken her family to Lapland, to see Father Christmas and the Northern Lights. Michele loves champagne, which might have something do her French origins, as she was born in the that region.

Harriet has over 15 years of experience within the private client area and is a member of the Association of Taxation Technicians and the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

She has a wealth of experience in personal tax, trusts and estates dealing with tax compliance and tax advisory. Areas covered include (but are not limited to), Inheritance and Capital Gains Tax planning, complex and informal estate administration, back duty rental disclosures, Trust registration and 60-day UK property reports.

After some time with a top ten accountancy firm, Harriet has returned to work for Burton Sweet as a Private Client Senior Manager, having previously spent 5 years with our firm.

In her spare time, Harriet likes getting outdoors and particularly enjoys endurance events.

Cecile specialises in charity and company law, the regulation, legal administration and governance of organisations, constitutions and other aspects of the governance, management and operation of charities, civil society organisations and social enterprises.

The diversity, detail and practicality of her knowledge and expertise are used to advise a wide range of clients, including faith-based groups, churches and other places of worship, arts, cultural and heritage organisations, museums, medical and scientific charities, community transport organisations, community and village halls, social welfare and family support charities, organisations supporting people with disabilities, community amateur sports clubs and community interest companies. Cecile also leads customised training and development activities for their boards, staff and volunteers.

Applying her abilities to help charities, civil society organisations and social enterprises, Cecile contributes to journals and publications, helps to develop and review best practice guidance, and serves on working parties to comment on proposed legal reforms, changes and good practice guidance. Her published titles include Charity Checklists and How to Run a Charity.

Cecile designs and delivers public access learning events for the charity, social enterprise and wider civil society sectors and professional bodies that support them. A member of the Charity Law Association and a Professional Subscriber of the Chartered Governance Institute, she is the tutor for the Institute’s Certificate in Charity Law and Governance.

Besides immersing herself in all things charity, Cecile’s other interests range from exploring nature, to visiting churches and cathedrals, to classical music and even steam locomotives.

‘I have known Cecile for a number of years and could not think of anyone better to support us. Cecile is a joy to work with and her knowledge base on charities, charity law and practical set-up is absolutely outstanding. Most importantly, she does not explain these things in complicated terms and ensures the information is relevant and understandable in in a practical context. Her positive attitude means she is pragmatic, approachable, and easily contactable throughout; I would not hesitate to recommend her highly enough.’ – Vanessa Moon, Chair, Chief Information Officer at Insane Root Theatre

Teresa works as Small Business and Tax Manager, specialising in all aspects of owner managed limited companies and directors’ personal tax affairs. She is a Certified Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor.

Originally from a tiny village in Wiltshire, Teresa now lives in a slightly larger village in Somerset. She enjoys horse riding, hiking and dreaming about exotic holidays… outside of Somerset and Wiltshire.

‘Teresa is always happy to help, very patient and quick to reply, even to the smallest questions. Any confusing queries we have seem to make far more sense once she has clarified them, so we know exactly where we stand. We would have no hesitation in recommending the services of Teresa and the Burton Sweet team to anyone.’ – Andrew & Sandy Phillips, Game & Country – South West

Paul worked at Burton Sweet on his placement year from university and returned work full-time after the conclusion of his course, having achieved a 1^st Class BA (Hons) in Accounting and Financial Management. Since then, he has qualified with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, subsequently becoming a fellow in 2022 and more recently obtaining the Diploma in Charity Accounting (DChA). Paul is now Accounts and Audit Manager, focusing predominantly on audit and assurance for corporates, as well as charities and not for profits.

A keen football fan, Paul holds a Bristol City season ticket. He works as a Scout Leader and volunteered in Kenya for three months, fulfilling his ambition to travel.

Alison has been working at Burton Sweet for over 26 years, having started as an accounting trainee, after leaving college. During this time, she has become a Chartered Tax Advisor, a Member of the Association of Tax Technicians, as well as the Association of Accounting Technicians. Now, Alison holds the position of Small Business and Tax Manager, mostly focusing on sole traders, personal tax, rental properties and capital gains tax.

Having grown up locally and attended school in Shepton Mallet, Alison enjoys cooking, particularly baking. Alongside this, she helps her husband make homemade wine, which of course requires some sampling. Over the past few years, she has been learning to tap dance.

Arabella is Head of Bookkeeping at Burton Sweet, specialising in financial control, budgetary control and systems. She holds the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants qualification and has a wealth of experience particularly in providing this service to the advertising and hospitality sectors.

Having worked for Burton Sweet for around five years, Arabella helps businesses who don’t necessarily have the resources or infrastructure to employ someone to oversee their finances full-time. As a Financial Controller, she aims to bring them objective clarity on how they can improve gross profit, reduce overheads and manage cashflow, so they feel confident that they’re heading in the right direction. With this additional level of accountability, Arabella ensures that her clients targets are met.

Alicia has many years of experience in accounting, having worked in a number of practices across the South West. Her detailed knowledge of corporate tax, VAT and compliance, she is also a capable advisor on aspects of tax planning and cloud accounting. One of Alicia’s key aims is to provide her clients with solutions specific to the pressures they face, both in business and personally.

Her interests including swimming, paddle-boarding and watching old movies. She also volunteers, as a qualified official at her son’s swimming club.

Veronica has worked at Burton Sweet for over 40 years and is a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians.

She is Manager of Business Services, specialising in the preparation of sole trader and partnership business accounts, property lets and self-assessment tax returns. Veronica ensures her clients have clarity on their finances, providing them with the confidence to take any opportunities that might arise and avoid any potential pitfalls.

Veronica was born and bred in Bristol. She is involved in many aspects of her church life, being a Eucharistic Minister, children’s leader, parish treasurer and orchestrating the music. She has been a Secondary School Foundation Governor for 22 years. Her hobbies including both performing and attending concerts, watching the rugby, tennis and cricket and travelling, when she can…

Adam has over sixteen years of experience working in the finance industry, specialising in small business accounts and tax services at Burton Sweet. He is a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians and has a BA in Business Administration. An area of particular expertise that Adam possesses is in cloud-based accountancy packages, a skillset that only becomes more useful year-on-year.

Any outdoor activities are within Adam’s wheelhouse; he loves hiking and mountain biking. By competing in national challenges, such as triathlons and the three peaks, he has combined his natural interests and commitment into raising £1000s for charity.

Klaudia joined Burton Sweet in 2016 and has a diverse financial skillset, with particular expertise in charity and Civil Society accounts and audits. In this role, she is continually developing her knowledge of the unique demands and ambitions of this sector.

A Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians, Klaudia is currently working towards the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants qualification. Beyond this she has previously achieved the certificate of QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor and is consequently well versed in in the workings of cloud-based software.

Outside of work, Klaudia is passionate about leading an active and healthy lifestyle and has volunteered as a cub leader, with the Scouts association for about three years now.

‘We are impressed that Klaudia managed to produce a such a concise set of accounts, given the time she was presented. It was a heroic effort on her part for which we thank her.’

‘Once again, we appreciate all your hard work on our accounts and for being such an absolute pleasure to deal with. We genuinely value our working relationship with you.’

Having worked at Burton Sweet for over 2 years, Kavin now holds the position of Accounts and Audit Assistant Manager, with a particular interest in charity audits and independent examinations. As well as this, he has expertise in corporate affairs, such as auditing and accounts preparation.

Kavin is part of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and qualified with a BA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance from the University of the West of England. He trained with Kingscott-Dix, an accountancy firm in Gloucester from 2014 to 2018 and has since worked at Hazelwoods and in industry as a Company Accountant.

Outside of work, Kavin is a keen Arsenal and Gloucester rugby fan. He has also volunteered in a number of ways including climbing Snowdon and Pen Y Fan to fundraise for Maggie’s charity, alongside gardening and maintenance at a farm which helps vulnerable people.

Chris has been with Burton Sweet for over 30 years and has amassed a wealth of experience in personal tax and trust tax matters. He is currently on long-term leave.