A growing future

Combining a desire to work in finance with a love of agriculture, trainee accounting technician Emily Terry has landed her dream job at North East chartered accountancy firm Baines Jewitt.

With a first-class honours degree in ‘Agri-Food Business Management’, plus an Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) Level 2 qualification under her belt, Emily first approached Baines Jewitt in the summer of 2024 to enquire about work placement opportunities.

“I noticed that Baines Jewitt is a member of the UK200Group, the UK’s leading association of independent chartered accountants and law firms, and has specialist status across a number of sectors, including agriculture.  After making a speculative enquiry, I was invited in for some work experience and delighted to be offered a full-time job shortly afterwards,” explains Emily.

Originally from rural Kent, but now living on an arable farm near Sedgefield with her fiancé and his family, Emily has relocated permanently to the North East, where she is working hard to expand her horizons and put her agricultural and accounting knowledge into practice.

“I feel that I have the best of both worlds. With further training and experience, I’m hoping to be able to support Baines Jewitt’s farming clients with their accounting needs. I know from living on a farm that it requires a lot of hands-on activity and dedication, which can often detract from the business and finance side of things,” adds Emily.

Not wanting to let the grass grow under her feet, Emily has already started studying towards an AAT Level 3 qualification, on a day-release basis, with support from Baines Jewitt and a local college of further education.

On welcoming Emily to the firm, Baines Jewitt director Don Adams said:  “We work with a broad base of clients from the agricultural sector, including farms and agricultural contractors. In particular, we act as a sounding board, provide up-to-date business information and help many family-run farms make the most of their finances.

“As well as an aptitude for finance, Emily has an understanding and first-hand experience of being in an agricultural environment, which includes the challenges faced.  I’m sure she will prove to be a real asset to our firm and to our clients.”

When not studying or working at Baines Jewitt, Emily and her fiancé are busy renovating a 400 year old cottage on the family farm, where they hope to hold their wedding reception at a later date.

In the meantime, she is keeping her feet firmly on the ground by accompanying her fiancé on farm walks to check on crops, applying her university knowledge and lending a hand with some of the practical elements of farming.