Home Insights We may be a regional firm, but we’ve never forgotten our roots

We may be a regional firm, but we’ve never forgotten our roots

By Ensors Team
10th Aug 2022

For over 130 years, Ensors has been part of the Ipswich community. Founded by Isaac Lott Ensor in 1889 and initially trading from premises on Museum Street, we remain one of Ipswich’s most established firms.

Over the years, much has changed. We have become one of the largest and most respected accountancy firms in East Anglia, with six regional office locations.

But one thing remains the same.

Our love for our home town.

Ipswich is at the very heart of our heritage. We are extremely proud of our local roots. With the recent opening of our new head office on Princes Street, we want to share our appreciation for our community.

Expanding our presence in our new office

Last summer, we embarked on an ambitious expansion plan which saw our Ipswich head office relocate to the enterprise zone on Princes Street.

Our new office has benefited from upgraded technology and better facilities, creating a positive and exciting working environment.

With closer access to public transport and paid-for car parking, our employees can easily make the most of our new hybrid work style. We understand that everyone has different priorities. Our staff are encouraged to spend time in the office as well as remote working. Those working from home are provided with the appropriate IT equipment. We also facilitate flexible working hours that enable our team to prioritise the things that matter to them while keeping our clients’ interests at the heart of how we work.

With more than 100 employees based in our Ipswich office, we understand the importance of facilitating a positive, social experience. Our new premises allow us to host regular social events designed to build and maintain a close team spirit. From monthly pizza days to staff cocktail competitions and beer challenges, our dedicated social committee takes pride in creating a fun, friendly working environment.

“Remote working is an extremely valuable tool, but we know it doesn’t work for everyone. For example, some staff members may have felt increasingly isolated working from home over the last few years. Our investment in our new head office and our social events have been essential to help encourage people back to an office environment and ensure that everyone feels part of the same team. In addition, it has built positive relationships between different departments, who may otherwise not have any interaction with one another.

I feel very proud knowing our investment into our new head office and our staff has put us in a great position to continue to grow the firm. The phrase ‘people buy people’ has been around for decades, but it is still relevant today. Our clients invest in us, so we must continue to invest in our staff.” David Fairbank, Ipswich Office Partner

We have a duty to our community to help Ipswich prosper

We believe that if we can offer thriving careers (across a wide range of sectors, not just accountancy), we can play our part in helping Ipswich’s business community to prosper.

Our employees are fully supported from their very first day so that they can work to the best of their ability. We focus heavily on career development for every staff member, whether they are just starting their careers with us or approaching retirement.

Our people are the heart of our business, which is why we invest in them.

We offer regular training and development, and we encourage our staff to upskill themselves. If someone is working towards a new qualification or accreditation, we provide funding and study leave to give them the best chance for success.

Our employees are only limited by their own ambitions.

We’re proud that we have members of our team who have spent their entire careers working with us, and we’ve helped people progress from an apprentice all the way to Partner status. Of our seventeen partners across the firm, we’re proud to say that eleven began their careers with us. Six of them continue to work from our Ipswich office.

Of course, with any successful team, we are creating a butterfly effect on the local economy. 62% of our team lives locally. They spend their time (and money) within our vicinity, helping to create a thriving and prosperous town.

We want our staff to feel fit and healthy

Our responsibility isn’t just about helping people to flourish in their careers. We provide support and care to look after our team. Alongside traditional staff benefits such as flexible working, wellbeing support, pension contributions, and shopping discounts, we also offer private medical insurance. As a result, our staff can access quick support for mental or physical ailments. We also have ten fully trained mental health first aiders across the firm who are available if an individual needs help and support.

“More workforces than ever before are being impacted by issues relating to staff burnout. We ensure that our staff benefit from a positive work-life balance and have the support they need to feel fit and healthy.” Barry Gostling, Partner

Continuing to show support for community events

We are extremely proud of our Ipswich roots, which is why we continue to get involved in local events and charity initiatives.

We listen closely to our staff and do what we can to support the causes they care about.

Since 2016, we have been the T-shirt sponsor of the 10k Ipswich Twilight race. We’re thrilled that our new office location offers a prime view of the start/finish line. Many of our staff members are competing in the race, and we will be hosting a social BBQ for our runners and their families to celebrate their achievements.

“Our involvement in the Twilight Race has multiple benefits. It’s a great way to boost our staff’s wellbeing and physical health, but it’s also something that the local community gets behind. There’s always a fantastic buzz around the streets when the race takes place, and we’re proud that our involvement also supports the race charity partner; East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.” Kristie Holiday, Marketing Manager

We will always advocate for our town

We may have grown to be a regional firm, but our hearts will always be in Ipswich.

For over 130 years, we have championed our town, and we will continue to do so.

Ipswich is a thriving hub full of potential. Every day we get to work with extremely talented people, many of whom have lived in the area their whole lives. We are thrilled to be able to support our local community by employing local people, and we will continue to offer exceptional working conditions for our teams.

We may be an accountancy firm, but we are not just accountants.

Every department makes a difference to our business. As a result, we want to attract recruits in teams as diverse as marketing, human resources, IT, and practice management, as well as administration and database management. So, whether you’re starting your career and looking for an apprenticeship or graduate role, or you’re looking to take the next step along your career path, we want to hear from you.