Dr Cristian Holmes on celebrating 140 years of Caba

In 1886, the world was a vastly different place for a chartered accountant. There was no welfare state, no national pension scheme, and no safety net for those who fell on hard times. In the heart of Victorian Britain, if a professional encountered tragedy or financial ruin, they were largely on their own.

It was against this backdrop that the founders of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) did something remarkable, they created Caba. It began as a simple, radical idea, a redistribution of kindness from those thriving in the profession to those who were struggling.

Today, 140 years later, that principle remains unchanged. However, as Caba’s chief executive Dr Cristian Holmes on celebrating 140 years of Caba explains, the way that help manifests has undergone a total transformation. “Caba’s story is both the reach and growth of the profession,” Holmes says. “We’ve managed to stay alongside that with a changing society and the challenges that a changing society has brought.”

From grants to global support

For its first century, Caba was primarily a grant-giving organisation. It was a lifeline in an era before the 1940s brought the UK’s social security reforms. However, according to Holmes, the true pivot point in the charity’s modern history came in 1977, thanks to a transformative donation from a Mr. Henry Merrett.

“His donation fundamentally changed the support that we could give,” Holmes explains. “It allowed us to add advice to our grants. We were able to start to recognise that stress was an issue, something Caba wanted to take on board.”

That shift from purely financial assistance to holistic wellbeing set the stage for the organisation Caba is today, a modern charity with a £6m annual budget, handling over 3,500 inquiries a year. 

While the traditional grants for financial hardship still exist and are rising due to the cost-of-living crisis, they now sit alongside a sophisticated suite of services including debt advice, career coaching, and legal support.

The modern crisis of mental health and neurodiversity

If the 19th century was defined by financial survival, the 21st century is defined by psychological resilience. Holmes notes that mental health interventions at Caba have grown by 50% over the last year alone.

“We used to call it stress,” Holmes reflects. “We’ve been through that transition where we went from not accepting people being stressed, to accepting it, to now accommodating the wealth and diversity of people and helping them manage it.”

One of the most significant shifts in Caba’s recent history is its work in neurodiversity. In a profession that demands high levels of precision and cognitive load, an undiagnosed condition can be a career-ender. With NHS waiting lists for adult ADHD or dyslexia assessments often stretching to three or four years, Caba has stepped in to bridge the gap, funding around 300 assessments annually.

“For an accountant who is struggling in an environment, that waiting list is impossible,” says Holmes. “Being able to accelerate that through Caba can become incredibly life-changing.”

Adapting to an AI-driven future

As the profession looks toward the next decade, the looming shadow of artificial intelligence is inescapable. Holmes notes that many accountants fear being “replaced” or find themselves unable to keep pace with the digital shift.

He views this as the next great evolution of the “accountant’s intelligence.” He describes a framework where the traditional IQ (Intelligence Quotient) was joined by EQ (Emotional Intelligence), and has now been supplemented by SQ (Social Intelligence) and AQ (Adversity Quotient).

“AQ is our intelligence about being resilient,” Holmes says. “That’s a very different accountant to the one from 140 years ago. Whether we develop those skills or not, change is going to happen.”

While Caba hasn’t yet seen a massive spike in AI-driven unemployment, they are seeing a rise in inquiries regarding redundancy and legal advice. In response, the charity is doubling down on learning and development, providing tools and training to help professionals build the resilience needed to navigate a volatile job market.

Impact beyond data

While the numbers, including 1,800 financial grants and 1,000 mental health interventions are impressive, Holmes is quick to steer the conversation back to the personal. For him, the impact isn’t found in a spreadsheet, but in the quiet moments of gratitude at conferences or the specific, tangible changes in a family’s life.

He points to Caba’s “Back to School” campaign as a prime example of how the charity supports not just the accountant, but their dependents. Last year, Caba provided school uniforms for 206 children whose families were facing hardship.

“I get emotional when I talk about that,” Holmes admits. “If we can take one problem off them, whether it’s a leaking roof, a mental health problem, or not being able to afford school uniforms, we give them space to have more agency and be more in control. That’s the beauty of Caba.”

When asked what advice he would give to firms, especially smaller practices without the luxury of massive HR departments, Holmes’ answer is simple. He says: “Firms must create psychologically safe spaces. I imagine quite a lot of conversations are performative. ‘What do the numbers look like?’ No, how are you feeling? What are your challenges?” Holmes urges leaders to be authentic about their own struggles to give their staff “permission” to be open.

However, his biggest challenge remains awareness. Despite 140 years of service, Holmes is under the impression that many in the profession still don’t know Caba exists, or feel a sense of “shame” in reaching out.

“My primary problem is awareness,” Holmes concludes. “There is no shame attached to dropping Caba a line and just speculatively asking, ‘might you be able to help with this?’ The profession is incredibly lucky to have had people donate the sums they have. It’s a rather wonderful charity whose only purpose is to help people.”

Holmes adds: “As Caba enters its 141st year, its mission remains a testament to the generosity of the accountancy community, a reminder that even in a world of digital transformation and economic flux, the most valuable asset a professional has is their fellow human.”