Chilvester Financial Expands with two new offices. In opening new branches in Bristol and Newbury, Wiltshire-based financial planning firm, Chilvester Financial, has expanded its reach along the M4 corridor.
This move, following the company’s relocation to larger headquarters in Chippenham two years ago, aims to better serve a growing client base.
The expansion comes after Chilvester’s 2022 acquisition of Bristol’s Sovereign Asset Management. That gave the business an existing presence in the city. The firm also supports a large client based in the Newbury and Marlborough area.
A natural next step
Chilvester’s Investment Director Sam Binstead said the new offices were a natural next step in the company’s growth strategy. They can now enhance client convenience for in-person meetings. And extend a presence both westward and eastward.
‘When we took over Sovereign we had a period of moving those clients across and settling them in with our team. But it was always part of our plan to open an office in Bristol,’ said Sam. ‘At the same time, having an office in Newbury helps expand our presence eastward. And it’s convenient for our many clients who live in the surrounding area.’
Andy Tottman, Chilvester’s Managing Director, expressed excitement about this next stage of Chilvester’s development. He noted that while central office functions remain in Chippenham, the branches will enable the team to cover a wider geographical area. In turn that has the potential to provide employment.
‘Moving to the new offices in Chippenham in 2023 supported our growth. And this remains our headquarters,’ he said. ‘But through the new branches we can cover towns and villages in a wide area. One that stretches from Bristol and out towards Reading. Over time we can grow our branch offices, taking on local people and so creating employment opportunities.’
Chilvester Financial Expands – the Chilvester team
Teamwork is the dreamwork
Chilvester Financial has a 14-strong team and last year celebrated 25 years in business. The company has a strong management team supporting Andy and Sam. The team comprises Compliance Manager Ian Stone, Head of Advice Shane Lucas and Systems & Operations Manager Jessica Tottman. Between them, they have around 100 years’ experience in the financial planning sector.
The company specialises in personal financial planning advice, tailored to the individual. The experienced planners support a wide range of people. They range from those planning for retirement, to businessowners seeking long-term financial planning, to homeowners considering equity release, to families looking to their financial future.
Chilvester’s Newbury branch is in Oxford Street, while its Bristol branch is in Prince Street. The Chippenham headquarters is in Avon Reach.
Chilvester’s Newbury branch is in Oxford Street, while its Bristol branch is in Prince Street. The Chippenham headquarters is in Avon Reach.
Made in Swindon: a social history. 1840s-1940s. Edited by Philip Garrahan – a new book that I must flag up to you all. It’s a superb addition to the Swindon literary canon that is for sure.
Made in Swindon book – edited by Philip Garrahan
The book is a collaborative effort with chapters contributed from:
Adam Busby – Adam grew up in Swindon and he wrote his undergraduate dissertation on the GWR Medical Fund society.
Graham Carter – retired journalist and a proud Swindonian born and bred.
Philip Garrahan – a social scientist. He taught in four English universities and after completing his doctorate at Reading. He’s researching the contributions of art to social history.
Harry Lewis – another proud Swindonian (and why not?) with a family history intertwined with the fortunes of the Works.
John Stooke – a Swindonian to his marrow. In 1871, John’s grandfather migrated to Swindon from Devon for secure and better paid industrial work. John lectures on local history on a regular basis and is involved with the committees of many local societies. Having lost two children to poor mental health, in 2002 he set up (and Chairs at the present time) a successful community health support charity, The Kelly Foundation.
Panto 2025 Cast Announced. Imagine Theatre and the Wyvern Theatre announce that popular professional quizzer and performer, The Chase’s Jenny Ryan, will star in the Wyvern’s popular annual family pantomime Sleeping Beauty.
Joining Jenny, playing Wicked Fairy Carabosse, will be Swindon’s much loved favourite Dame, David Ashley. And award-nominated comedy actor Ben Goffe. He’s hot off the heels of recent nomination for as ‘Best Comic’ in the UK Pantomime Association Awards. That was for his appearance as Buttons in last year’s pantomime Cinderella.
In 2015 Jenny joined the hallowed team of Chasers on ITV’s award-winning teatime hit The Chase. That’s now in its fifteenth series. Nicknamed ‘The Vixen’ and ‘The Bolton Brainiac’ by host Bradley Walsh, you can also see Jenny in the prime time spin-off series Beat the Chasers for ITV1. She’s a regular guest on Fighting Talk on BBC Radio 5 Live and has appeared on many other favourites. They include:
Would I Lie to You?
Celebrity MasterChef
Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
Blankety Blank and Celebrity Catchphrase.
Panto 2025 Cast Announced
Jenny Ryan
A talented singer and musician, Jenny and her fellow Chasers won BBC1’s Let’s Sing & Dance for Comic Relief . With Jenny making to to the final of The X Factor: Celebrity in 2019.
Of her debut on the Swindon stage Jenny says: ‘I’m thrilled to be at Swindon this Christmas to appear in Sleeping Beauty. I’ve heard how wonderful Wyvern Theatre audiences are. I can’t wait to get started. I know that we’re going to have a lot of panto fun. And I look forward to hearing everyone booing loudly!’
Swindon panto royalty David Ashley’s career has seen him perform across the West End in shows such as Cats, Les Miserables, Blood Brothers and many more. Back for his twelfth year in panto at the Wyvern David says he’s ‘Over the moon’ to return. And adds ‘the audiences in Swindon always feel like my extended family. And I cannot wait to get started with all the brilliant panto fun in Sleeping Beauty alongside Jenny and Ben.’
Panto dame extraordinare David Ashley
Ben Goffe has most recently been performing in West End show The Choir of Man. Alongside his may stage appearances in panto and with the National Theatre, the RSC and ENO Ben’s also appeared in TV and film :
Hapless
Big Brother’s Big Mouth
The Friday Night Project
Artemis Fowl
AmStarDam and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Ben tells us: ‘The audiences in Swindon were so welcoming last year. I had such a wonderful time appearing in Cinderella. So I’m thrilled to be returning to the Wyvern to appear in Sleeping Beauty. It’s going to be a lot of fun!’
Ben Goffe in panto at the Wyvern theatre
Imagine Theatre
Imagine Theatre are once again panto producers. They’re bringing this much-loved fairytale to life, packed with all your fave panto ingredients. It promises to be the perfect magical fun-filled family treat full of sparkle and spectacle.
Laura James, the Theatre Director at the Wyvern Theatre said: ‘We’re thrilled to have Jenny joining us this panto season! Jenny is a fantastic performer and perfect for the role of Carabosse. I know our team and all our wonderful Swindon audiences will make her feel welcome. And with the legendary pairing of David Ashley and Ben Goffe to share the stage with, it’s going to be one incredible show!’
When the wicked fairy Carabosse’s evil curse causes the Princess Beauty to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into an enchanted sleep, can anyone rescue her from the magical slumber before it’s too late?
Sleeping Beauty will run from 06 December 2025 to 04 January 2026. Make memories this festive season with this spellbinding magical family pantomime.
Finance Company Supports Charities. Local Finance company Southby & Co Financial Planning are supporting several Wiltshire charities. That’s all thanks to a £5,000 gift which came from winning a prestigious industry award.
Recently, Southby & Co Financial Planning, based in Wroughton, near Swindon, won St. James’s Place (SJP) Responsible Business of the Year. St James’ place gives the award to businesses that are supporting and caring for their clients and their environment. And being responsible for the role their business plays in their relevant community.
With this award, came a £5,000 pot for the winners to donate at their discretion.
Finance Company Supports Charities – Dave Southby with Dawn Prosser of Swindon Night Shelter
Dave Southby, founder of Southby & Co Financial Planning, said, ‘We wanted to distribute the money from our win to as many charities as possible. Our company is community-focused. And we have done many events to push certain charities into the limelight as our company grows.’
We decided to support a range of charities that mean a lot to myself and the staff. And to support a specific project for their overall mission,’ he continued. ‘We can’t wait to hand over that money and then see the impact it will have for the people who access them.’
The recipients
The charities who will be beneficiaries of this ‘gift’ are:
Dave and the team plan to do more fundraising this year. And this win has already helped them to help more local good causes.
Swindon Night Shelter is one of those charities. It supports those who are homeless or in vulnerable housing in the town.
Dawn Prosser, of Swindon Night Shelter, said: ‘We’re so thrilled to receive this support from Dave and his team. It makes such a difference. We’ve been able to buy tons of compost for the garden and also put money towards a new green house for this particular project.’
Dave and his team work with individuals, families and business owners across Swindon and Wiltshire, helping them manage their finances effectively and plan for the future.
Pipp & Co Vegan Doughnut. Doughnut makers Pipp & Co have launched a vegan doughnut to ensure plant-based food lovers don’t miss out on their delicious treats.
The artisan bakery has added vegan mixed berry doughnuts to its range. The move comes in response to growing demand from customers looking for a plant-based alternative.
With an estimated 2.5 million vegans in the UK (4.7 per cent of the adult population), and the numbers continuing to grow, Pipp & Co wanted to ensure they appealed to all markets.
Pipp & Co Vegan Doughnut
Strict criteria
The new vegan doughnut still meets the baker’s strict criteria of using only natural ingredients, with no artificial additives or preservatives. As with the rest of the range, there are no hydrogenated fats, no palm oils, or GMOs.
Pipp & Co make all their own oat milk from scratch, giving them full control over quality and sourcing. This extra step reflects their hands-on approach and dedication to doing things the right way.
Mario Evangelista, who co-runs Pipp & Co with his wife Betina, said part of the reason for creating a vegan doughnut was to help with sustainability.
Plant-based butter produces 82% less CO₂ and uses 97% less water than regular butter,” he said. ‘That hit home. It’s such a simple swap, but it makes a big difference.’
Even the sugar dust on top of the doughnuts, a by-product of the berries Pipp & Co use, helps reduce waste and minimise environmental impact.
Betina Evangelista said the vegan doughnut took a couple of months to develop.
Proving popular
‘Customers are loving the vegan doughnut as it has no flavour difference to our existing well-loved products,’ she said. ‘We had to develop the product alongside our normal production – we went through several trials to arrive at a recipe we were confident in and proud of.
‘We’ve replaced ingredients like fresh cream, eggs, and unsalted butter with vegan alternatives such as oat milk and vegan butter. We also used soya flour and oats in the formulation. All with some ingredients that remain consistent with our traditional recipe.’
Unlike many vegan doughnuts, which can be dry or too dense, Pipp & Co’s vegan mixed berry doughnut maintains the same soft, rich texture as their traditional brioche-based originals. That’s thanks to their careful 24-hour fermentation and three-stage proving process.
The new vegan doughnut is proving popular, even among non-vegans. In blind taste tests with the Pipp & Co team, 57% preferred the vegan version. Plans are now in the pipeline to add other vegan doughnuts to go with the mixed berry option.
Pipp & Co doughnuts and other products are available through stockists from Reading to Oxford, and from Stroud to Bristol.
Pipp & Co produces more than 20,000 doughnuts a week from its Swindon factory. They also opened their first café in Bristol last year, with plans for outlets in other locations in the future.
