Hurst appoints first 2026 trainee cohort

Hurst has appointed its first trainee cohort of 2026, including a medal-winning swimmer and a graduate who worked at a wildlife sanctuary in Namibia caring for injured and endangered animals.

Mia Aspinall, Charlie Kay, Callum Livingston and James Pennington have joined the company’s business services team, which provides audit, compliance, strategic advisory, outsourcing and business planning support to clients across the UK.

Meanwhile, Toby Parker has stepped onto the group’s tax team.

The five trainees were chosen from a pool of over 200 applicants, at a time when the Stockport-headquartered practice said it continues to recruit “high-calibre emerging talent” to drive forward its expansion strategy.

Hurst said that it hopes to double in size to become a £20m-turnover practice in 2028, pushed by a growing national client base, vast recruitment and fresh service lines to bolster its plans, rooted in a multimillion-pound investment in technology.

For Aspinall, the new appointment follows a career-change from working as personal finance manager at debt management company GW Financial Solutions. Prior to professional life, she graduated in accounting and finance from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Kay, who has a mathematics degree from the University of Liverpool, gained business experience running his own venture, KC Kicks, which sells high-end designer sneakers and clothing.

Livingston is a keen sportsman with an economics degree from the University of Bristol. He plays football, golf, rugby and cricket, and also enjoys surfing and skiing.

Pennington, who secured a degree in economics with finance at the University of Sheffield, is a medal-winning swimmer and a qualified lifeguard who has competed for England as an Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games trialist.

Parker graduated in accounting and finance from Cardiff University and subsequently worked at Namibia’s Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary, focusing on the care and rehabilitation of injured and endangered animals, along with wildlife tracking and conservation activities.

This news comes after the Dains Group acquired Hurst, the former a national accountancy and business advisory firm with 30 locations across the UK and Ireland, a move Hurst said further reinforced its resources and support for both domestic and overseas clients.

Hurst specialises in advising three core client segments – owner-managed businesses, private equity-backed enterprises and UK subsidiaries of overseas parent companies.

The firm’s clients include SJM Concerts, Beechfield Brands and Lancashire County Cricket Club.

Anthony Woodings, the Hurst partner responsible for trainee recruitment, said: “Our first trainee intake of 2026 brings together individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and achievements. They will play an important role in supporting our continued growth while working towards their professional qualifications.”