Toowoomba’s leading accounting and financial services firm, Power Tynan, has been recognised for community engagement in the 2014 Australian Accounting Awards.

The firm won the “Community Engagement Program of the Year” award against competition from large and small accounting firms across Australia. The awards are promoted by the AccountantsDaily online newsletter and international software company Reckon.

The award recognises the firm’s activities through its Charitable Trust as well as a scholarship program that offers young people the opportunity to both study at university and work full time with Power Tynan.

“These programs are part of our way to give back to the community that supports us so well,” said Power Tynan CEO Paul Hilton.

“We are grateful for this award. I believe it is a reflection of the way we work as a team in our involvement with our community as well as service to our clients. Our staff make the decisions about the charities we support.”

As well as these major programs, the firm and staff are involved in a range of community activities in the region. For the past two years Board members have committed to the “Hang Ya Boss Out To Dry” fundraiser, 19 male staff raised more than $7,000 during last year’s Movember event and staff are involved directly by participating and volunteering with some of the charities supported by the Charitable Trust.

“We encourage other businesses both in our region and across Australia to become more involved with their communities,” said Hilton. “I hope our success in the Accounting Awards will influence many accounting firms - both large and small - to be more involved with structured charity and community programs.”

Since it was founded in 2010, the Charitable Trust has provided a total of more than $100,000 in funding to a wide range of charities in the Darling Downs from the Toowoomba Hospice, to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the Cancer Council, the Starlight Foundation, Beyond Blue and many more local and national organisations.

The scholarship program lifts the university fee burden from successful young people while providing full-time work and a salary while they study at university part time. Already four accountants have graduated through the Power Tynan program and another nine are currently studying and working with the firm.