Celebrating 140 years of support for the accountancy community

March 24th 2026 sees caba mark 140 years of supporting chartered accountants through life’s challenges. Since its founding, the charity has stood alongside ICAEW members, ACA students and their families, providing practical, financial and emotional support whenever it is needed.

The origins of caba reflect the spirit of the profession itself. In 1885, a group of chartered accountants gathered in offices on Throgmorton Street in London learned that a junior clerk was terminally ill. Moved by his situation, they each contributed what they could, raising £50 to support him. That simple act of generosity led to the formal creation of the Chartered Accountants’ Benevolent Association the following year, with the aim of providing relief to members of the profession in need.

In its earliest years, support often meant helping widows and families after the death of a member, paying funeral costs or providing small grants so children could continue their education.

Today, services are wide-ranging and include financial assistance, debt advice, support with neurodiversity, counselling and mental health support, career coaching, legal guidance as well as practical help for those living with illness or disability.

The scale of support continues to grow. In the past 20 years alone, more than 40,000 enquiries have been received, with over £20 million distributed in financial assistance and thousands of people accessing counselling, career coaching and specialist advice.

While the challenges facing the profession today look very different from those of the Victorian era, the underlying need remains. Rising living costs, health challenges, caring responsibilities and career disruption can affect anyone at any stage of life.

caba’s strategy reflects these changing pressures, focusing support on those most in need and helping people facing financial difficulty or challenges with their physical or mental health. caba offers a wide range of resources, practical tools and most importantly, caring professionals at the end of the phone.

Find out how caba are marking their anniversary here and on their social media accounts below:

• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/chartered-accountants-benevolent-association
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cabacharity/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cabacharity/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cabacharity
• Website: https://www.caba.org.uk/