About IAgSA Icon

About IAgSA

Welcome to IAgSA (Institute of Agricultural Secretaries & Administrators)

Who are we?

IAgSA (Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators) was incorporated in 1967 and is a professional organisation whose members offer a wide range of services to farming and rural businesses in the UK. IAgSA is respected throughout the farming and rural business industry.

What is our mission?

  • To provide professional support to farm administrators and bookkeepers working in the UK rural economy.
  • To support career development in rural business administration.
  • To promote a high standard of professional conduct with farm and rural business administration.

What does IAgSA do?

  • Maintains a membership database of all IAgSA members, which includes farm administrators, bookkeepers, rural business administrators, farm secretaries, accountants, land agents, estate administrators and others.
  • Provides our members with relevant information and knowledge to assist them with their ongoing and Continuing Professional Development.
  • Arranges training to help new entrants coming into the sector.
  • Supports members to improve their technical knowledge and to meet other members and industry representatives through IAgSA Regional Training Days and our National Conference.
  • Works to support local IAgSA Branches who provide local networks for IAgSA members across the UK.
  • Engages with a wide audience via our industry-recognised monthly technical bulletin.
  • Liaises and works with industry stakeholders, the government and others on farming issues that affect our members and their clients.

How do we manage ourselves?

  • We follow a Constitution and Code of Conduct to provide our council and members with a framework in which to operate.
  • Our Secretariat looks after the day-to-day activities of IAgSA, under the guidance of our council.
  • Our Membership Panel approves all applications for membership.
  • Our Disciplinary Committee ensures the good governance of membership in relation to the Code of Conduct and ethical matters.

What do we expect of our members?

  • To abide by the Code of Conduct.
  • To maintain and enhance their professional standards.
  • To hold an Anti Money Laundering Supervisory Licence if required.
  • To hold Professional Indemnity Insurance if required.
  • To demonstrate continuing professional development and submit to IAgSA.
  • To further the aims and objectives of IAgSA.

If you have any questions about IAgSA, please contact us.

IAgSA Council Members - Please use the Contact Us icon above to contact any member of Council

Council Members help IAgSA to provide a high-quality service to our membership, giving their time and expertise, commitment and enthusiasm. Many of our Council Members work as farm administrators or bookkeepers and so have a working appreciation of the day-to-day issues within our profession.

Louise Templeton FIAgSA – Chair and Compliance Officer

Louise Templeton FIAgSA – Chair and Compliance Officer

Louise was born in Cumbria, daughter of an accountant and granddaughter of a dairy farmer. She studied at Bishop Burton qualifying as a farm secretary in 1985 and remained in Yorkshire until 1990 working in the seed trade as a crop inspector and seed sampler. On her return to Cumbria she worked at Borderway Mart in the Pedigree Department with responsibility mainly for dairy sales where she met her husband. Following the birth of their two daughters, she decided to return to her roots of farm secretarial work, working freelance for a large farm consultancy firm for two years until the contract came to an end, and then she became self-employed. The majority of her business is farm bookkeeping, although she also bookkeeps for her clients’ diversified businesses. In her spare time she is involved with the local County Show.
Sally Wood FIAgSA – Vice Chair, Membership Grading Panel, Stakeholder Group Representative

Sally Wood FIAgSA – Vice Chair, Membership Grading Panel, Stakeholder Group Representative

Sally Wood has been a professional in the industry and working with farmers for over 30 years. Sally has vast experience and knowledge to help farmers run their businesses more efficiently and gain a better grasp of their finances. Sally is a Fellow of IAgSA and also a Fellow of the Association of Taxation Technicians. Sally, and her daughter Alice, now run Farm Office Services, which has 8 members of staff in their team. They work with over 300 farming clients undertaking farm secretarial work, annual accounts, tax returns, and RPA work. Sally is married to a dairy farmer and they have 3 daughters. Sally has been on IAgSA Council on and off throughout her career and is keen to get new entrants into IAgSA as well as raising the profile within the industry.
Lesley Morden – Treasurer

Lesley Morden – Treasurer

Lesley grew up on a mixed family farm in Shropshire and now lives in Hereford, with spells in Mid Wales and Hampshire in between. She qualified as a farm secretary at Rodbaston, Staffordshire and completed AAT Technician Level 4 in 2002. She has worked in the full range of farm secretarial settings, most recently employed as Finance Manager on a traditional mixed farming estate with separate soft-fruit company, responsible for all aspects of business accountancy, monthly cashflow, budget comparisons and forecasting, for which she has a particular passion. Since May 2024 Lesley commenced practicing on a self-employed basis for a small number of clients and enjoys more time for her hobbies, travelling and walking. She is in her second term on Council and is our current Treasurer as well as recently taking over as Chair of Herefordshire Branch.
Lynn Briggs FIAgSA – Continuing Professional Development Assessor

Lynn Briggs FIAgSA – Continuing Professional Development Assessor

Lynn is the Council Member responsible for CPD. Raised as a farmer’s daughter, she has worked within the agricultural industry all her life. With over 30 years’ experience, she has provided mobile farm secretarial services including book keeping, payroll and property management latterly in the Staffordshire / Derbyshire border area. Having been actively involved within the Staffordshire Branch, she now promotes CPD training and development to IAgSA members to raise the Institute’s Standards of Professionalism.
Emma Powell FIAgSA– Branches Representative

Emma Powell FIAgSA– Branches Representative

Emma lives near the Hampshire/Wiltshire border and her role is to liaise between the Council and our branches. Emma is a self-employed farm secretary, working predominantly with arable clients, and has been in the role for more than 25 years. Emma has also been a key member of Council involved in the development of the IAgSA Online Training Programme and continues to work closely with all those on the Training Team to ensure its continued delivery and success.
Amanda Runciman – Membership Grading Panel, Scottish Representative

Amanda Runciman – Membership Grading Panel, Scottish Representative

Amanda lives in the Scottish Borders but originally comes from Angus, north of Dundee where she grew up on a mixed farm. She enjoyed helping her Mum and Dad with their farm paperwork so it is no surprise she became a Farm Secretary. Her move to the Scottish Borders was to work for FBR, Kelso as a Farm Secretary and after having her family, Lewis & Libby, Amanda became a self-employed Farm Secretary and has been doing this since 2007. Amanda has been a member of IAgSA since 2009 and was elected Secretary for Scottish Borders Branch in 2016 and has helped to grow the Scottish Borders Branch.

Amanda used to run a weekly Highland Dancing Class for children from the age of 4 in the local village. However, after Covid-19 outbreak she never re started the class. In her spare time she enjoys walking her dog, Gin the Border Collie and socialising with friends.

The highlight of Amanda’s IAgSA career so far would be organising the 2020 IAgSA Conference in Peebles Hydro with the other Scottish Borders Branch committee members.
Jean Barnett – Membership Grading Panel, Mentoring Programme Lead

Jean Barnett – Membership Grading Panel, Mentoring Programme Lead

Farmers daughter, growing up spending a lot of time on my Grandparents farm. Studied Agricultural Business Management at Askham Bryan College then went on to do AAT a number of years later. Worked part time whilst having family, Lauren & Oliver, then full time employed as a Farm Secretary until 2014 then set up own business. Over 25 years of experience in Book keeping, Payroll and Farm Assurance work, working on the east coast of Yorkshire across to York. Mainly Farming businesses with a number of diversifications.
Helen Cookson – IAgSA Representative on ICB Council

Helen Cookson – IAgSA Representative on ICB Council

Helen grew up on a farm in Powys near the Shropshire border. She started her working life for Barclays Bank plc. After having her 2 children she retrained as a bookkeeper, achieving qualifications with the ICB & AAT - attaining fellowship with both. She set up her own self-employed bookkeeping business 20 years ago. She has also been Chairman for Shropshire Branch twice.

Helen now currently offers bookkeeping & payroll services to a wide variety of clients, as well as agricultural businesses, in her local area.
Karen Smith – Isle of Wight Representative

Karen Smith – Isle of Wight Representative

Karen Smith is a farmer’s daughter and grew up on a dairy farm in East Sussex. Her first real job was working in a cattle market, after moving to the Isle of Wight and working for a year with SCATS she realized there was a need for a farm administrator on the Island. She went to college in 1989 to do a NCFS at Sparsholt College, where she joined Thames and Test Branch of IAgSA and has been a member of both T & T and IAgSA ever since! She has been self-employed for over 30 years, providing booking services and crop recording. In that time she passed AAT Level 3 and 4, bought up one daughter Abbie, sat on the local parish council, assisted with the local fair and is now the Vice Chairman of the Isle of Wight Ploughing Match. Karen helps her daughter with her various farm enterprises and walks her young collie dog and runs a cluster group for the farmers in her area.
Gill Boldan – IAgSA National Office Administrator

Gill Boldan – IAgSA National Office Administrator

Gill joined IAgSA in September 2020 having worked for organizations including the NFU & Mutual, HM Land Registry, DDM Auctioneers and finally for Stephensons Rural Land Agents, Surveyors and Auctioneers. As an arable farmer’s daughter from North Yorkshire, still involved in the family farm and active in her 2 children’s Young Farmers Club along with various equestrian activities she is also kept busy outside of her work for IAgSA. Gill runs the National Office and provides all the administrative support not only to all the Members, but the Council of Management as well in their work on behalf of Members and the Institute. Gill would also be considered the first port of call for all contact with IAgSA and liaises with a wide range of enquirers as they look to find out more about the Institute and our services.

Useful Weblinks

IAgSA members often need to liaise with a wide range of organisations for help, advice, services and support . We've gathered together a concise directory of useful phone numbers and web links to save you time - and to put you in touch with the right people.

Industry Links

Farming Charities

Farm Software Companies

  • Agridata http://www.agridata.co.uk Software program is suitable for beef, dairy and sheep enterprises
  • Farmdata Management Systems http://www.farmdata.co.uk Software programs for livestock, crops, financial and payroll
  • Farmplan Computer Systems http://www.farmplan.co.uk Farm accounts, livestock and GateKeeper cropping software for UK farm record management. Support, training and IT services also available.
  • FarmWorks by Shearwell Data http://www.shearwell.co.uk Complete management program for the cattle and sheep farmer with data transfer capabilities
  • Landmark Systems http://www.landmarksystems.co.uk Simple, cost-effective software for accounting and property management.
  • Lines Mitchell http://www.linesmitchell.co.uk Farm management software for all your Cross Compliance, EID, Cattle, Sheep, Arable, NVZ, Vet and Medicine records and Single Farm Payment applications.
  • Muddy Boots http://www.muddyboots.com Comprehensive, easy-to-use, farm recording solutions that manage all aspects of crop production.
  • Planet http://www.planet4farmers.co.uk Nutrient management software and compliance with the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) regulations.
  • Sum-It Computer Systems http://www.sum-it.co.uk Integrated farm management software for farm accounts, dairy, beef, sheep and field records.

Contact IAgSA

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