When did you join Allia?
I joined Allia in April 2019
Where were you before Allia and what attracted you to this job?
I trained in practice within a Cambridge based accountancy firm. I had always particularly enjoyed working with clients in the charity sector. After a year in industry, I decided I wanted to specialise within the not-for-profit sector, the role at Allia gave me an excellent opportunity to do so. I’m very grateful to have had some excellent opportunities to grow and develop at Allia.
Has your role changed since you started here – and in what way?
Yes, I started at Allia as Financial Controller of Allia Impact and Allia Future Business Centre.
Last year I was promoted to Group Financial Controller. I have kept my responsibilities overseeing Impact and Future Business Centres, but my responsibilities have increased, and I am now more involved in Allia from a group perspective. Meaning, I have more involvement in the wider group activities and subsidiaries.
Can you explain what your role involves – what you tend to do day-to-day?
Oh gosh – every day is different, so it is very hard to say I have a set day. Some of my regular tasks are to do with reporting and compliance – I ensure end of month reporting is completed in a timely manner, as this aids decision making across the business. Sometimes my time is spent supporting more junior staff in training and coaching, and I spend a lot of time managing my team, which varies depending on their needs at the time.
My role is quite reactive and dependent on what different projects we have on at the time. For example, if it is budget season, I spend a lot of my time looking at budgets with various teams and helping put them together. If we are looking at new opportunities, I support the team in working out if these are financially feasible and what we would need to ensure they are achievable.
What is your favourite part about working at Allia?
I guess my favourite part about Allia is the people and the culture of the organisation, and the idea we all come together. We overcome challenges (the most recent being Covid!) and no matter what challenges we come across we all muck in as a team together. We all have a common goal and objective and I think that’s why a lot of people love Allia.
Plus, we have fun!
How do you feel Allia helps to create positive impact for people, place or planet?
I think a lot of the positive impact comes from the venture support side of the business. Since I joined there has been an increasing number of programmes running, that all vary depending on what stage of start-up you are, and the support you need.
I also think there is always something for everyone at our Future Business Centres. If you are a start-up, there is room for you to grow in our buildings and we have the support here to help you do that. You can see that impact through some of the amazing people that have been a part of the Allia journey. Flit, are a great example, they were co-workers, then tenants who also joined our Future 20 programme. They outgrew our building and moved on to a bigger space, but they keep in touch and are now members of our Climate Accelerator.
Tell us about what you like to do outside your 9-5
I’m a keen runner and it is my main way to de-stress. I like time outside a lot and do a lot of walking. My parents live in the Yorkshire dales, so like to go hiking around there and for weekends away. I like cooking… and I do like to read when I get the chance. We have a cat at home which means lots of snuggles, and a great working from home buddy – as my team will know, he likes to make sure he’s part of them team by joining video calls.
Tell us something that might surprise us
My cat is Instagram famous! I adopted a cat in 2018 and started posting pictures of him on Instagram. The page soon grew, and it now has almost 10,000 followers! I take the pictures, whilst my mum posts stories of the things he gets up to with his brother. His claim to fame was being featured in the Cats Protection National calendar last year.
Check out Percy’s Instagram here
