Part of the Change Family

Sunley & Co Is Now Change Accountants

The Sunley & Co Logo

If you’ve landed here from the old Sunley & Co website, welcome, and there’s nothing to worry about. Barrie, Nikki and Emma are still your team. The phone number still rings through to people who know your file. Your accounts are exactly as safe as they always were. The name above the door has changed. Almost everything else hasn’t.

Where Sunley & Co came from

Graham Sunley started the practice in Acomb, York, in 1989. The idea was simple: approachable, friendly accountancy done properly, for people who didn’t want to feel small in front of their own numbers. It worked. Some of Graham’s original clients, and their children after them, are still clients today, more than three decades later.

By the time the practice became part of Change, the team included Barrie and Nikki as senior accountants, and Emma Carter running the office and usually the first voice you’d hear on the phone. That’s still the team.

Where Change came from

Stacey qualified as a chartered certified accountant in 2003 and made partner at a Yorkshire firm in 2007, at the time the youngest woman in the county to do so. She started Change in 2014 because she wanted to build the kind of practice she'd have wanted as a client herself: independent, fixed fees, plain English, no surprise invoices.

Bringing the two together

In 2024, Change acquired Sunley & Co. Between us, the two practices roughly doubled in size, to around 800 clients and a team of 12. Part of the deal was backed by a six-figure loan from NPIF II – Mercia Debt Finance, part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II, and it was that fund’s first deal in York.

Both teams now work from one office in York rather than two. In practical terms, this means one set of systems, one place to send your records, and one number to call, whichever team you originally joined.

The Sunley Team

Stacey Mcveighty, Director, Change Accountants – Profile 4

Stacey McVeighty

Director / FCCA

Stacey Mcveighty, Director, Change Accountants – Profile 4

Stacey McVeighty

Director / FCCA

Stacey founded Change in 2014 with one simple aim: to build an accountancy practice that changes people’s perception of accountants.

She enjoys solving problems. Whether it’s software that isn’t behaving, accounts that don’t quite add up or helping a business plan its next stage of growth, Stacey loves getting to the root of an issue and finding practical solutions.

With more than 25 years’ experience, Stacey specialises in tax, business strategy and helping owner-managed businesses grow with confidence. You’ll usually meet her during new client discovery meetings, tax planning sessions or as part of our management accounts service.

Outside of the office, Stacey is a keen supporter of the York business community and regularly attends networking events, including hosting her own York networking event, First Thursday.

Related articles
Barrie Coxon, Accountant, FCA, Change Accountants Profile 1

Barrie Coxon

Accountant / FCA

Barrie Coxon, Accountant, FCA, Change Accountants Profile 1

Barrie Coxon

Accountant / FCA

Barrie joined Change as part of our acquisition of Sunley & Co. A safe pair of hands and an ACA-qualified accountant, Barrie enjoys working with some of our larger and more complex businesses, but he’s equally happy helping sole traders, partnerships and limited companies.

Known for his attention to detail, he’s the person who enjoys untangling complicated accounting and tax problems. Just one piece of advice... don’t ask him about payroll. He’ll politely remind you that it’s someone else’s department.
Nikola Gent, Accountant, FCCA, FMAAT, Change Accountants Profile 1

Nikola Gent

Accountant / FCCA, FMAAT

Nikola Gent, Accountant, FCCA, FMAAT, Change Accountants Profile 1

Nikola Gent

Accountant / FCCA, FMAAT

Nikki is a Chartered Certified Accountant and is another important part of our Sunley team. She works across accounts, payroll, CIS, VAT and Making Tax Digital, giving her a broad understanding of how businesses operate.

With particular experience in farming and construction, Nikki enjoys helping clients stay on top of both their compliance and their day-to-day finances.

Whether you have a payroll question, a VAT query or you’re discussing your year-end accounts, Nikki is always happy to help.
Emma Carter, Office Manager, Change Accountants Profile 2

Emma Carter

Office Manager

Emma Carter, Office Manager, Change Accountants Profile 2

Emma Carter

Office Manager

Emma joined the team following our acquisition of Sunley & Co and is the friendly face you’ll see when you visit the office.

She keeps the office running smoothly, supports our administrative processes and oversees much of our Making Tax Digital administration. Whether you’re calling with a question or popping in for a meeting, Emma will make sure you end up in the right hands.

What’s changed, and what hasn’t

Changed: the name on your invoice, the building you’d visit if you ever needed to, and the tools the whole team now shares.

Not changed: the person who looks after your accounts, the number you call, and a belief in fixed fees and plain English that both practices already held before we were one firm.

We now look after around 800 clients across Yorkshire and the UK, still on a fixed-fee basis, still with no surprise invoices.

If you’re a Sunley client and anything about the move has left you wondering who to call or where your records have gone, get in touch.

Barrie, Nikki and Emma are still on the end of the phone, same as always, and now there is a support from the wider Change team.