You may have noticed our name change to Kinder, which was previously Kinder Pocock. So why the change, and what’s so important about Kinder?
Let’s look at some FAQs:
1. Firstly: how do you pronounce it?
Like the egg basically! But I like the play on words that it could be kinder, as one of our values is “act with happiness and love”
2. Where did the Kinder Pocock come from?
We’ve been Kinder Pocock since I set up the firm in 2005. Kinder is my wonderful grandmother’s maiden name, and Pocock was my married name.
When I was choosing a name, it was still the done thing to have professional sounding surnames in an accountancy firm’s name. Anything funky or trendy just didn’t look reliable. Quite different now!
So I started with the Pocock, and went back through the family looking for surnames. My maiden name is Baker, but Baker Pocock sounded dreadful, and at the time Baker Tilly were still around (big nationwide accounting firm) so that wasn’t going to work either.
3. Can I speak to your business partner please?
Ha ha. NO! I’ve had this so many times. It might just be because it’s 2 names that people assume there are 2 partners. But it has always just been me as the founder and MD. No other business partner, although I have a great professional and family support network.
4. Why are you changing to Kinder now?
The truth is that I’ve gone back to my maiden name, following a separation. We won’t go there, but all is good and happy.
So it makes sense to drop the Pocock from the business name too.
The team and I brainstormed different names, but we all agreed that we love the branding, and wanted the consistency and continuity.
Most importantly though I wanted to keep the Kinder as it means so much to me.
So why Kinder?
Kinder is my maternal grandmother Nonny’s maiden name.
She’s always been massively supportive, and my sister and I spent a lot of time with her when we were children.
We have so many happy memories. Lots of long walks in Ross on Wye, playing by the river, eating tinned strawberries, and holidays to Butlins (always beach in the morning, pool in the afternoon)
Nonny used to love telling the tale of the lady at dinner while we were at Butlins, who commented on how well behaved her daughters were. Nonny corrected her, saying we were her granddaughters, and the lady said “well all the more credit to you then”.
Nonny was like a second mum to us, because our own Mum was setting up her own business, and Nonny did all that she could to support her.
We lost Nonny in August 2022, which means keeping her legacy alive is so much more crucial to me.
So here’s a little bit about Nonny:
She was always fiercely independent, strong and supportive. She didn’t take any nonsense in her lifetime, which included:
- a special dispensation at 14 to leave school and support her widowed mother
- joining the WRNs in WWII as a signals officer (and on shift the night Churchill got the “war is over” message)
- working as a single mum in the 50s when this was a huge taboo
- supporting my mum in the 70s and 80s to hold down 3 jobs, set up her business, and raise my sister and I.
- my voice of reason and driving force (Nonny convinced me to stick at my accountancy training when I was ready to quit)
I miss her and her wise words, and I’m proud to continue her legacy.
This is us in 1996, celebrating the Queen’s 70th birthday at Hereford Cathedral with many other Herefordshire septuagenarians.
Sharon
