Business advice specialist, Champion Accountants, has added two new members of staff, taking its Chester accountants headcount to 16.

Sam Thompson, 29, from Penyffordd and Spencer Youd, 19, from Penymynydd have joined as Audit and Accounts senior and junior respectively. The two new additions will be responsible for accounts preparation for an extensive portfolio of some of the city’s leading businesses specialising in sole traders, partnerships, LLPs and limited companies.

AAT qualified Sam boasts a decade of practice experience and joins the firm from a national accountancy and business practice where she worked as an accounts manager for six years.

Spencer recently completed an AAT Level 2 Bookkeeping course at iCount Training in Chester, prior to which he studied A levels in Maths, Economics and History at Castell Alun High School in Hope.

Sam said: “Champion has a great reputation, an excellent client base of local start-ups and SMEs and a clear ambition to grow which provides a brilliant place to work for career-driven individuals. This, and the practice’s friendly atmosphere is what attracted me to the role.”

Spencer added: “I’m excited to join the team. Champion offers great training and I look forward to learning new things every day.”

Andrew Hopwood, director at Champion Accountants, concluded: “We’re thrilled to welcome Sam and Spencer on board. They will be a great asset to our office and the wider Group as Champion continues to go from strength to strength.”

Champion employs 110 staff across its offices in Blackpool, Preston, Manchester and Chester.