2023 – End of Year Letter
Chris Broome – Managing Director
Greetings from Longhurst HQ!
As is now a Longhurst custom, I wanted to take the opportunity to provide you all with a closing 2023 summary on our business, some of our highlights, and our thoughts as we enter 2024.
GIVING BACK & PROJECT LONGHURST
At Longhurst we are deeply passionate about supporting both our local community and a number of national and international causes.
At the end of 2022 we made our first 3 x £2,500 charitable donations to (1) HART UK, (2) Humane Society International (HSI), and (3) The Money Charity.
And, at the end of 2023, we have just made the same 3 x £2,500 donations, but with the amazing uplift of knowing that through ‘The Big Give Christmas Challenge’ our donations to HART UK and HSI were doubled to £5,000 per charity! Meaning, our net £7,500 2023 donations actually grossed up to £12,500!
During 2023 we also fulfilled our reactive approach to our good-giving, ensuring we donated in excess of £2,500 to those of you fund raising, as well as to global events.
These charities included:
- NSPCC
- Together Foundation
- Willen Hospice
- Young Minds
- Ronald McDonald House Charity
- Paws2Rescure
- Bowel Cancer UK
- Brain Tumour Research
- Cancer Research UK
- Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Society
- Young Epilepsy
Plus a number of Undisclosed charities, who we have donated generously to and who will remain publicly undisclosed.
MORETREES PARTNERSHIP
Carbon dioxide is one of the biggest drivers of climate change, and we all know we should be playing our part in reducing and negating carbon emissions.
Tree planting not only helps offset your emissions, but it comes with tonnes of other benefits too.
As such, in 2020 Longhurst became a Certified Partner to MoreTrees, an organisation set up to empower both individuals and businesses to offset their carbon footprint.
Since then we have been busy planting trees for a whole bunch of cool reasons, such as when a new client household joins us.
So far we’ve planted in excess of 2,198 trees and, as we did last year, this year we plan to plant at least another 100+ instead of sending out Christmas cards.
GROWING THE LONGHURST TEAM
2023 saw the following people/organisations join the Longhurst family:
- Benjamin Fabi – Benjamin is a technically proficient, accomplished paraplanner. He provides assistance in all areas of report production, financial product and technical questions, and income drawdown strategies. A technical wizard, we are delighted to have you as part of our team mate!
- Albion Strategic Consulting – Mainly working with Tim Hale and James Baker, Albion are an investment-focused team helping us to implement and maintain a sensible and robust investment proposition. Gentlemen – like a breathe of fresh air, we’re delighted you’re now part of our family.
HOW OUR BUSINESS GREW
Longhurst appears to have maintained its annual growth expectations for 2023.
As always, I continue to believe that this is because of our focus on providing a deeply human and empathetic approach to our lovely clients – something that remains in high demand in an ever-growing digital world.
Our comprehensive business plan incorporates a long-term vision which should not be unduly impacted by short term volatility (as the markets experienced yet again this year)– exactly like your financial plan. We practice what we preach.
This year we continued to receive a healthy amount of new client enquiries, mainly referrals from existing households and our strategic external partners. As such we continue to grow our client family responsibly.
We also provided some ad hoc transactional services to other busy families.
We continue to be assured with how our business is growing, with it hopefully reflecting confidence in us, from you, that you have made the right decision to partner with our firm.
THE SOFT LAUNCH OF ‘LONGHURST LEGAL’
Following feedback from clients, and following careful thought and consideration, earlier in the year we soft-launched a human-focused estate planning business called Longhurst Legal.
In partnership with a national firm of trust specialists, and a leading national law firm, we now deliver in-house advice and planning services, including:
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Wills
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Lasting Powers of Attorney
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Inheritance Tax Planning
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Bloodline Planning
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Business and Exit Planning
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Local Authority Planning
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Shielding from Divorce and Bankruptcy
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Grief and Bereavement Support
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Probate Services
All overseen and administered by the award-winning team here at Longhurst.
Initially only offered to existing clients, we already have a large list of families wishing to protect and shield their estate from 3rd parties and future Governments.
We plan to open this service up to the general public in 2024 – if you’d like to join the waiting list please email team@longhurst.legal and we will ensure we make contact with you.
OTHER NEWS
BS 8577 Accreditation achieved
Longhurst was successfully awarded BS 8577 – Framework for the provision of financial advice and planning services by Standards International Ltd. Areas they highlighted included our processes, Project Longhurst, award success and our branding.
We turned 5
Time flies when you’re having fun! We’re delighted that our business not only survived, but grew and thrived during Covid and beyond. Thank you to our wonderful clients and partners for their continued support.
New design for our monthly newsletter
We decided to change things up with our monthly newsletter, deciding to beef up the content with more images/graphics, as well as long-form articles and other items.
Business Owner Blog Series Success
We ran a 9 part blog series aimed at business owners, which was well downloaded and appreciated by our clients. Read the series here.
AWARDS AND ACCREDITATIONS
During 2023 we were nominated for 5 awards, of which we won 3, and achieved a Highly Commended in 2 others.
As follows:
- ‘Best Retirement Initiative’ – Winner – Professional Adviser Awards – For our human-focused retirement service, called SmartRetire®, which encompasses financial planning, wealth management, estate planning, life transition coaching, travel planning, and good-giving advice.
- ‘Best Client Engagement (Advisers)’ – Highly Commended – Professional Adviser Awards – Having won this award for the previous 2 years, we were still pleased to pick up a highly commended for our approach to client services.
- ‘Small Firm of the Year’ – Winner – Money Marketing Awards – The big one for us, after 3 years of applications, the judges finally gave it to us. We’re delighted!
- ‘Next Gen Firm of the Year’ – Winner – Money Marketing Awards – As an early member of the NextGen Planners community, we’re very proud to be recognised as a leader in this catagory.
- ‘Charity Champion’ – Highly Commended – Money Marketing Awards – For Project Longhurst.
SUMMARY
As some of you know, I like to talk about the positive impact reflection has in our lives.
Reflecting on the year Longhurst has had, it’s been a combination of both maintaining our direction of travel and growth, whilst ensuring we (and I) celebrate the hard work our team put in each and every day.
My colleagues here at Longhurst are exceptional at what they do. But, and more importantly, they’re exceptional human beings, all of whom I’m proud to have in my life.
So, to you my friends, thank you.
To our clients.
It has been our pleasure to help you all throughout the year.
From ensuring your financial, business and retirement plans remain on track.
To helping you to successfully exit your business or/and multi-decade career.
To ensuring you and your family remains as tax efficient as possible.
To protecting and shielding your estate.
To helping (and reminding) you to keep focused on a life well-lived – one filled with purpose and passion.
To encouraging you to spend your hard-earned money.
We absolutely love to share in your wins, and to celebrate when you celebrate.
However, for a number of you, it’s been an especially challenging time of late.
Whether its a bereavement. Illness. Divorce. Or a challenging life transition.
Just know this.
We are here for you and will always have your back.
Longhurst will continue to invest into our business, our people/family, our regional and professional communities, and of course, our clients.
Our relationship with you all, we hope, has continued to deepen. Onwards into 2024 we go, together.
On behalf of the entire Longhurst team, we wish you all a relaxing festive break, and a healthy and happy New Year.
