Page 66 • The HERALD • 19th February 2026 v THE HERALD - Proud to be part of your community v BRYANT & CO Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers We provide a wide range of accounting and business services to individuals, partnerships and limited companies. We specialise in working with family owned businesses, providing guidance and advice as appropriate. Our services include: • Annual Accounts • Bookkeeping • VAT • Payroll and CIS • Personal and Corporate Tax Returns • Management Accounts • Business Advice • We also provide training on the use of Sage and Quickbooks, and the implementation of computerised and manual accounting systems. • Meetings can be arranged to suit your needs, including evenings and weekends if more convenient to you. • The initial meeting is free of charge, regardless of the length of time, as we believe it is important to develop a good working relationship from the outset. • All fees are agreed in advance of any work being undertaken. Please call Peter or Lisa on 023 8089 4982 to arrange a meeting to discuss your business needs. You can also contact Peter on 07976 808969, or email us at info@bryantandcompany.co.uk Have a look at our website www.bryantandcompany.co.uk for a fuller understanding of our business. Helen Sparks Mortgages & Financial Services Offering professional advice since 1985 Mortgages Residential Life Time Equity Release Buy to Let – first time landlords Property Portfolios Help to Buy Insurance Buildings & Contents Insurance Life Assurance Critical Illness Income Protection YOUR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS This firm usually charges a fee for mortgage advice. The amount of the fee will depend upon your circumstances and will be discussed and agreed with you at the earliest opportunity. Some forms of buy to let mortgage are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. 023 8084 4108 enquiries@helensparks.com Helen Goodall T/A Helen Sparks Mortgages & Financial Services is an appointed representative of PRIMIS Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority ASK A PROFESSIONAL Anna Piotrowska Career Switch Made Easier Thanks To Intensive ‘Skills Bootcamp’ Course A local woman has been able to start pursuing her dream career in IT thanks to a 12-week intensive ‘Skills Bootcamp’ course o ered by leading upskilling company Step8Up Academy. A er facing major health issues, redundancy from admin roles and learning to live with a disability, Anna Piotrowska from Southampton, decided to step into the world of IT, coding and tech a er spending eight years in the utility and telecoms industry. Anna is now kickstarting her career switch and is looking for a junior role in web and so ware development where she can gain more experience and build her con dence even further. She is also sharing her career change journey in her very own LinkedIn newsletter called ‘Thursday Wisdom’. e course is funded by Hampshire County Council and is designed to help learners like Anna secure employment with a Level 4 quali cation. Anna said: “In my previous career, I never managed to make much progress. I’d mentioned changing to the IT department in one-to-one meetings, but it always felt who helped me pick out areas of improvement and work on CV building and interview skills. Changing career is challenging, but Step8Up made it easy for me. I was warmly welcomed, encouraged to make my own connections and step out of my comfort zone. Through the academy, I was invited to networking events and a Barclays Eagles Lab event where I found out about the newest technologies and the businesses around me.” CEO of Step8Up Jeev Sahoo said: “Anna is a shining example of how our Skills Bootcamps can be transformative for careers – she’s an inspiration to everyone in our cohort and is always full of happy energy. In Anna’s case, she was looking to pursue her dream career but didn’t have the skills or qualifications to start her journey. It’s really inspiring to hear about Anna’s progress. A lack of confidence is often one of the biggest barriers for anyone making a career change so we take a personal approach with each of our learners. It’s not just about the practical skills they gain, it’s about their longterm career prospects after they complete the course.” unattainable. I’d also faced health issues that led to sepsis and a coma which was a big setback for me. I also have a physical condition and sometimes need support because of this. Despite this, I knew I had to stop doubting myself and take on my next challenge. It was a last-minute decision to join the Skills Bootcamp, but it was the best decision I could make. I became part of a team, worked on my own projects and gained the coding skills employers would be looking for. Alongside the sessions, I also had mentoring from Step8Up’s CEO Jeev NFBP Business Support Programme New Forest Business Partnership (NFBP) have a really useful programme of business support and networking events, open to everybody and aimed at providing training for local businesses across a variety of essential skills. The programme includes a mix of both online and in person events - and many of them are free of charge. New Forest Business Support Hour: Join in an informal one hour networking meeting – an opportunity to update each other on how your businesses are progressing, to meet new people and to ask each other questions in a relaxed setting. You do need to book your FREE place by 3pm on the day. You will then receive an email before the meeting starts with the Zoom meeting ID and password to enable you to join the meeting online. The next sessions are taking place on Wednesday 25th February, Wednesday 4th March and Wednesday 11th March, 4pm–5pm. Other NFBP events: New Forest Apprenticeship Hub Celebration, Monday 2nd March, 10am–2pm at Paultons Park in Ower, Free. International Women’s Day Business Lunch, Friday 6th March, 12noon–2.30pm at Balmer Lawn Hotel in Brockenhurst, £35. Coffee Morning, Tuesday 10th March, 11am–12noon at New Forest Heritage Centre in Lyndhurst, £9. Business Brie ng – Big Ambitions Workshop, Thursday 12th March, 10.30am–1pm at Balmer Lawn Hotel in Brockenhurst, £5. For more information and to book a place on any of the above events please visit: www.n p. org.uk
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