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John Ellis FCA

Email: john.ellis@gothamerskine.co.uk

John trained with accountancy firm, Tansley Witt (now part of Deloitte), leaving them in 1977 to work with a number of theatres, community and activist organisations. Over the following decade he managed a touring theatre company and successfully produced Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist for both theatre and television audiences. When Rock against Racism organised national tours he looked after the finances and was a key member of the management group. As an activist during this time he was directly involved in local action over housing issues and in the anti fascist movement in East London, serving on the management committees of several local community and trade union organisations. For the Labour Party in opposition he produced A Night For A Nuclear Free Europe at Wembley Conference Centre, drawing in Greenham Women, Welsh Miners, popular comedians, musicians and the Leader of the Labour Party to make common cause – how things have changed! In 1983 he set up a production company which took 50 renowned international photographers to Ireland, north and south, to record a week in the life of a nation, publishing the best of the results in an acclaimed book.

From 1988 he was a partner in an accountancy practice after which he set up his own firm, John Ellis & Co, in 1990. This specialised in working with not-for-profit organisations, particularly those in the arts and advice sectors, and with companies and organisations which work with or service the not-for-profit sector. The firm merged with Gotham Erskine in 2007.

John’s experience in working in and with not-for-profit organisations, and giving financial and management advice, over 30 years has enabled him to gain a wide range of expertise in the issues they face. He has assisted clients through major changes in their operations, acted as interim finance director a number of times through periods of change including major building projects. He has gained a wealth of knowledge around VAT and other taxes, governance, business planning and other business matters which face organisations on a day to day basis. If he does not know the answer he probably knows someone who does. Being Trustee for a theatre company, Chair of a national sports association for 5 years and Treasurer of an international sports body, keeps him in touch with practical issues on the ground.