Congratulations to the Independent Age Finance Team!

by Noel Flannery, Director of Finance and Corporate Services

Members of Independent Age's finance team, posing with our new logo. Noel Flannery is on the far left.

I am delighted to be able to tell you that we have just learnt that Independent Age has been voted a finalist by the judging panel in this year’s Third Sector Excellence Awards in the Financial Management category. The actual award ultimately goes to the third sector organisation whose Finance function has made the most demonstrable improvement in financial management and control over the 12-month period 1 June 2009 – 31 May 2010. The Awards Ceremony takes place on 23 September in London.

Whilst it would be good to end up as winners, the fact that the Finance Team has made it to the final is a major tribute in itself to their hard work both in public view and behind the scenes within Independent Age. The detailed workings of Finance may not always be readily understood by the wider world but, believe me, Independent Age’s approach to financial management and control has changed out of all recognition over the past couple of years and my thanks go to the team for this.

More generally, whether we win or not, the awards ceremony will provide some very positive PR for Independent Age since it will be extensively covered in Third Sector magazine after the event in September. As a result it will no doubt help to persuade future donors and funders that their generous donations will be in safe hands as well as giving our nice new logo a very public airing!