Investing in its people is reaping the rewards for an accountancy firm celebrating its landmark 140th anniversary.

Saint & Co Chartered Accountants enjoys an exceptionally high staff retention rate due to its commitment to developing the skills of its workforce and promoting a healthy work life balance among its team members.

The firm was founded in Carlisle in 1884 and the business has grown to 10 offices throughout Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway, now employing more than 100 employees.

Eight of the nine current partners completed their training at Saint & Co with ongoing training and development opportunities promoted throughout the company.

Stuart Farrer, one of four managing partners at the firm, said: “There’s an ongoing joke that when you join Saint & Co, you will never leave, but that really does ring true.

“It’s with great pride we think back to how long people remain at the firm and it highlights to us that we’re doing something right and that people really like working for us and with our clients.

“We have people who have completed 40 years plus still working within the company as well as many young colleagues just starting out in the industry, and we’re excited to develop their careers to wherever that may take them.

“I’ve exceeded a quarter of a century’s service at Saint & Co myself, and while things have changed dramatically over the years, our values and ethos remain the same and we put the wellbeing of our staff top of our priorities.”

Across the company’s 10 offices, Saint & Co provides a wide range of career routes which includes an annual intake of apprentices.

Sophie Graham, Saint & Co’s training partner, said: “As somebody who joined the company as a trainee and worked my way up to the role of partner, I know first-hand how helpful the ongoing training provided by the company is.

“We are really passionate about developing people’s skills and knowledge within  accountancy, and we have seen time and again how beneficial bringing people through has been for the growth of the company.

“Moreover, seeing people’s personal skills such as confidence and social personalities developing is a huge thrill, and it’s so rewarding to see people thrive and excel in and out of work.”

To mark 140 years of Saint & Co, staff are hosting a Victorian-themed fancy dress event to raise money for its charity of the year.

The company was founded by John Jackson Saint when he moved to Carlisle from Haltwhistle, in Northumberland, and the firm quickly became a ‘cornerstone’ in the city’s financial district.

A man of local repute, he continued to expand the business and became a well-known public figure as he served as an alderman and politician.

His business and dedication to serve the community were inherited by his two sons John Boustead and Roland, who steered the firm through tough economic challenges following the two World Wars.

Saint & Co has continued to grow in size and stature, and has expanded its geographies to serve multiple communities. It has offices in Carlisle, Ambleside, Wigton, Cockermouth, Penrith, Whitehaven and Millom in Cumbria, and in Annan, Dumfries, Gatehouse of Fleet and Castle Douglas in south Scotland.

Saint & Co can be contacted on advice@saint.co.uk or 01228 534371.