Meet the Team

Sarah believes in the importance of client care and aims to ensure that all her clients are happy by providing a timely and effective service.

Numbers run through Sarah’s veins like blood – her Grandfather was a Nat West bank manager and Sarah’s Mother Jean Padam ran a successful bookkeeping business for a number of years. When Jean wanted to retire in 2013, Sarah took the brave step of leaving the security of a large local practice to take over her Mum’s business. That business became the “Padam Walburn Accounting Services” that you see here today.

Having decided from an early age that she wanted to be a Chartered Accountant, and after some work experience in Industry, deciding that she wanted to work in Practice, Sarah obtained an Accountancy and Finance Degree from Aberystwyth University in 1996. On returning home to Gloucester, Sarah started work for Randall and Payne, an accountancy firm in Stroud, where she obtained the AAT (Accounting Technician) Qualification.

Sarah moved to Hazlewoods in March 1998 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2000.

Sarah stayed at Hazlewoods LLP until setting up Padam Walburn Accounting Services in 2013, gaining experience in a wide variety of client affairs. Sarah specialised in the accounts of Veterinary Practices and travelled all over the UK to support her clients.

When not working, Sarah spends most of her time walking, training or competing in obedience classes with young Working Labrador, Calla. Sarah also has a keen interest in growing her own food and cooking and preserving it.

Sarah and Giles married in October 2010 and were friends for several years before, having met through the shared interest of Model Railways and are both active members of Gloucester Model Railway Club.

Jodie is passionate to find new and innovative bookkeeping solutions tailored to your individual needs. She also works in-house and with clients as our resident ‘Techie’, software trainer, and sometimes therapist!

Jodie joined the team in July 2017 as Client Manager, having worked alongside Sarah for 11 years previously at Hazlewoods LLP. With vast experience in accounts and taxation and with specialisms in the Dental and Veterinary Industries; throughout her career Jodie has travelled across the country to provide bookkeeping and software training, and is particularly knowledgeable in VAT, Management Accounts and Company Secretarial matters.

Jodie is a driving force for the future of Cloud accounting – her expertise lay in implementing software solutions including Sage and Xero by providing advice and training to clients, as well as being a Microsoft Excel specialist; in her previous years she has even had the privilege to assist in developing software manuals to deliver Microsoft Excel training to Corporate Bodies.

No matter which hat she’s wearing, her goal is simple – client care; to deliver an outstanding service in a friendly down to earth manner, empowering clients to drive measurable results within their accounting systems to become ahead of the curve. Think a tedious task could be carried out quicker and more efficiently? Jodie is the woman to ask!

Outside of the office Jodie is an ‘on the go’ mum of two. She has a passion for baking and a soft spot for a good coffee and catch-up with her friends. When not working she loves to live the sweaty life and will probably “recruit” you to join her for an exercise class or for a walk with her Cocker Spaniel.

Kirsty joined the team in October 2020 as our AAT Apprentice. Kirsty is very self-motivated, putting herself though AAT levels 1 and 2, prior to coming to us. She has passed Level 3 whilst working with us, and is soon to be level 4 qualified.

Kirsty spent the first ten years of her working life in the Health and Social care sector, and brings an extensive knowledge of this area to the practice.

When not working, Kirsty is kept busy with her two young sons. Kirsty enjoys spending time with family and thinks there is nothing better than binge watching a Netflix series!

Joe is our most recent recruit, joining the team in Summer 2023, having spent a number of years as a manager in the hospitality sector. We asked Joe the following:

• What propelled you into the field of Accountancy?

Accountancy was a career that I considered whilst in school, but I chose a separate career. In the summer of 2023 I took the opportunity of some work experience with Padam Walburn Accounting Services, which I really enjoyed, and this materialised into a job offer. I believe that my skills & attributes are well suited to this role, and I look forwards to progressing in my knowledge, ability & new career for the foreseeable future.

• What do you enjoy most about your role?

Having only been in the role for a short period of time, I am really enjoying learning new aspects of our accounting software packages and learning about businesses from all different industries. I am also enjoying the problem solving aspects within my role, as well as learning new things every day.

• What challenges do you help our clients with?

At present, I help our clients with the importance of basic bookkeeping principles to ensure that information is entered as accurately as possible.

• What challenges do you face in your current role?

Every day is a learning day for me, whether that be fulfilling a task I have never done before, or completing bookkeeping for a client that I have never worked on before.

• Tell us something we may not know about you:

In my spare time I enjoy playing golf, where my handicap is currently 1.6- I have been playing since the age of 6. I also am a massive F1 fan, where my favourite driver is Lewis Hamilton. Outside of sports, I have been with my girlfriend for a number years, together we have a young old red fox Labrador x Viszla called Phoenix, who is thoroughly enjoying his new office dog life.

Giles brings his 30+ years of company management knowledge in various sectors, from catering management, information technology to advertising, providing the team with support from administration tasks, making their workflow easier or streamlining our services behind the scenes.

Being born at an early age, Giles spent his childhood in Windsor trying out many different things, mainly excelling in mathematics, art and design. He was heavily involved in programming computers, staring with early BBC Micro computers, rowing for Windsor Boy’s School and Eton Excelsior rowing Clubs respectively. He became a Bishops Chorister at the Holy Trinity Church in Windsor.

He appeared in many Windsor and Eton Operatic Society productions in his teenage years. At 14 he developed an illness which restricted his walking for a while, so he spent more time developing his programming skills which has been a passion ever since. Giles has inevitably been drawn to Art and design, which both his parents were professionally involved with, his mother being an artist and his father being a graphic designer.

After finishing his Hotel Catering & Institutional Management qualifications in Cheltenham, Giles settled down in Gloucestershire, spending his early career running hotels, pubs, warehouses and outside catering companies, culminating as general manager of a catering hire company, in charge of all day to day operations and staff.

Together with his friend John, supported by Sarah, the thought of running his own company began. John and Giles started a limited model railway manufacturing company in 2010, successful for a decade. Unfortunately in late 2017 John became too ill to continue working, which deeply affected Giles and the company. Giles has since then wound the company down, and started a consultancy of his own, Giles Walburn Design. As of February 2020, Giles joined the team here part time, taking the practice management role within Padam Walburn Accounting Services, supporting Sarah with IT and client management help..

Giles and Sarah met through the shared interest of railway models in the early noughties, Sarah and Giles have been happily married since 2010.