A senior manager at a Cumbrian accountancy firm is celebrating 35 years at the company - after initially being hired as a part-time cleaner.

Saint & Co's Sharon Inge started her journey with the firm in the late 1980s.

She was invited by senior partner Jim Brunton to consider a career in accountancy, based on her impressive GCSE grades.

Fast forward to today, Ms Inge not only holds the role of a senior manager but has also trained more than half of the current 10 partners at the firm, including the senior partner.

She started working at the firm's Carlisle office, which she used to clean.

Ms Inge explained: "I used to help my stepmother in her cleaning job but had an interview for a job at a bank, when Jim said ‘Why don’t you just come to work here?

"Your grades are better than most other candidates’."

She added: "I’ve certainly seen a lot of changes within accountancy during my time at Saint & Co, and it’s been an interesting experience as we adapted to new technology, tax changes, and business modernisation".

In Cumbria: Pictured working at Saint & Co

During her early days at the company, the world of accountancy was male-dominated, often making her the only woman in the room.

Over the years, she has seen a significant shift in gender dynamics and industry practices.

Sharon Inge spent a decade with the company before she began studying for her Chartered Accountancy status.

Despite not having a university degree, she pursued her ACCA Chartered Accountancy qualification, thanks to the company’s financial support and her training partner Peter Boothroyd's encouragement.

In Cumbria: Sharon Inge, a senior manager at Saint & Co, is celebrating 35 years at its Carlisle office

Her role took a major leap in 2017 when senior partner Peter Boothroyd retired, resulting in an internal restructure and creating two managerial positions— one of which was filled by Ms Inge.

Ms Inge's responsibilities grew from working with sole traders, partnership accounts, to handling limited company accounts, company tax and personal tax.

She continued: "I'm still involved in staff training and I could be potentially training a future partner of Saint & Co as we speak".

In Cumbria: She is pictured with her colleague in 1998

She credits the progressive nature of her role and the company’s evolution over time as factors that have kept her engaged for so long.

Apart from her successful career, Sharon Inge also fulfilled her dreams of travelling to Central America, Peru and China.

Saint & Co, established in 1884, continues its practice of taking on an annual intake of trainees or apprenticeships — a move that Sharon Inge claims brings in fresh ideas, dynamic personalities and evolving work practices.

The firm has ten offices across Cumbria and Dumfries & Galloway.