It seems unthinkable that 2024 is almost over. But, as the snow hit us in Wilmslow in late November, it cemented the fact that we have reached the end of the year.
Now that 2025 is just around the corner, it is the perfect opportunity for us to look back at everything that has happened at DBL Asset Management during 2024.
So, read on for your DBL team update, including all the key news from what has been happening here, and our end-of-year thank you message for another fantastic 12 months.
Your tight-knit DBL team has largely stayed the same this year
First and foremost, there has been a small amount of movement within your DBL team this year, although everything else has largely stayed the same.
As you may recall, Ellie left us in September for pastures new. If you had been working with Ellie before, you will likely know that either Michelle Coulton or Michelle Hayes will be taking care of you moving forward. So, if you have any questions about what Ellie leaving might mean for you, one of the two Michelles is likely to be your best point of contact.
Otherwise, your tight-knit DBL team remains five-strong and ready to continue serving you in the new year and beyond.
We gave our office a fresh makeover
If you have been to the DBL office to see us already this year, you will likely know that we had a fantastic refurbishment in February.
Dacre worked closely with an interior designer, Natalie Ward Interiors, to put forward his vision, and the office was then closed for a week while the designers set to work.
When we came back, the whole DBL team was really (and pleasantly!) surprised to see what Dacre had chosen. Dacre went for something different with this refurbishment, particularly the incredibly striking feature walls in the meeting room, as you can see in the selection of images below:
We also introduced new standing desks to the office, ensuring every member of the team has the option to stand while working. Standing desks have been found to be healthier than sitting all day, as well as being good for preventing back pain.
You can see the desks below in their seated position:
We hope you like the refurbishment as much as we do. If you are ever out and about in Wilmslow, please do pop in and see the design for yourself!
RingCentral has improved our communications
Another big change for us this year has been the implementation of our new communications system, RingCentral.
We installed RingCentral at the end of last year, and it has vastly improved our ability to communicate, both internally and with our clients.
The system has many key features that really benefit our work, including the ability to:
- Transfer calls from the office to work mobile phones. This allows our team to work remotely when necessary, while also ensuring we always pick up your calls, no matter where we are on a particular day. RingCentral also redirects calls to the next available team member so no call is missed, and you can leave messages outside of office hours.
- Send messages between our team. This streamlines communications internally, especially when we have team members working at home and in the office concurrently.
- Host Zoom meetings and record calls to ensure that we always act on the key points discussed.
- Manage calendars by linking through to our back-office system.
This has been hugely powerful this year in helping us stay in touch with you, and ensures that any queries you send to us are always answered in a timely manner.
We have continued to support Ed Slater and the 4Ed campaign
As you may well know, we have been vocal supporters of former Leicester Tigers and Gloucester rugby player, Ed Slater in his battle against Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
To help support Ed and his 4Ed campaign, which aims to increase awareness of and raise funds to tackle MND, we have continued to send out a monthly email communication, detailing what the 4Ed campaign has been up to.
For example, activities that Ed and his campaign have been involved in include:
- Speaking openly in the media, with Ed featuring on BBC News and ITV News throughout the year
- 4Ed being selected as one of the two charity partners for the Jonny May Testimonial Dinner
- Securing charity places at the Cheltenham Half Marathon, with 4Ed having been made a bronze charity partner at Run Cheltenham 2024
- The Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC stadium being renamed the “4Ed Hartpury Stadium with Vodafone”.
As of December 2024, the 4Ed campaign has raised more than £400,000 for individuals and families living with MND, thanks to the kindness of more than 10,350 people.
If you would like to donate, you can do so on this JustGiving page here.
Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, healthy festive season and new year
As 2024 comes to a close, we wanted to say a big thank you to all our clients for another fantastic year.
Our purpose is to help you organise your wealth so that you can achieve your goals, and we are always incredibly grateful for you choosing us to help you do that. So, a heartfelt thank you for all your support this year, and we are already excited to continue working with you again next year.
Just so you are aware, our office will be closed over the festive period. The last day we are open in 2024 will be 23 December, reopening on 2 January 2025.
As ever, if you require any assistance with your wealth, then please do get in touch with us by emailing enquiries@dbl-am.com or calling 01625 529 499.
In the meantime, we hope you have a restful festive season and a happy, healthy new year. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2025.
