It is with great sadness that we share that Charles Hunt, founder and former Managing Partner of Blue Spire, passed away on 24 September 2026.
There are some people whose personality becomes part of the fabric of a business, and for Blue Spire, Charles was one of those people.
For those of us who knew Charles, it is difficult to think about the story of Blue Spire without thinking about him. He was there at the very beginning, long before Blue Spire had its name, and his influence remains part of the business we are today.
But Charles was so much more than just our founder.
He was a larger-than-life character, full of personality and someone who certainly left his mark on the people he met. To many of our longer-standing clients, he will be a familiar face and a name they remember well. And to our Director Katie, he was, most importantly, her much-loved Dad.
So, as we remember Charles, we wanted to look back at his story, the beginnings of Blue Spire and the legacy he leaves behind.
Where our story began
The Blue Spire story began back in 1989, when Charles started Hunt & Partners. Over the years, the business grew and evolved.
In 2005, Hunt & Partners joined the Haines Watts Group, before the Directors made the decision in 2009 that bigger wasn’t always better and left the group to form Blue Spire.
It marked a new chapter for the business, with an even greater focus on client relationships and personal service – something that remains incredibly important to us today.
A lot has changed since Charles first started Hunt & Partners in 1989, but those relationships have endured. In fact, some of the clients Charles worked with all those years ago are still part of Blue Spire today.
That feels like a very special part of his legacy.
The man behind the business
Those who knew Charles will know that he wasn’t someone who simply blended into the background.
Loud, funny, straight-talking and fiercely loyal, Charles had a big personality and a presence people remembered. He built relationships with clients that went far beyond numbers and accounts, and many became friends along the way.
His connection to Blue Spire was also a deeply personal one.
Charles was Katie’s Dad, and her own career in accountancy was inspired by him. To see the business he started continue through another generation makes his place in the Blue Spire story particularly special.
While the business may look very different today from the one Charles started in 1989, the importance of people, relationships and looking after the clients who put their trust in us remains at its heart.
Charles journey with Alzheimer’s
In February 2024, at the age of 72, Charles was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
It was a diagnosis that changed life not only for Charles, but for Katie and the rest of his family too.
During that time, Charles and his family received invaluable support from Sage House in Tangmere. Their compassion, guidance and care became incredibly important as the family navigated life with Alzheimer’s.
It was because of that very personal connection that supporting Sage House became important to all of us at Blue Spire too.
Earlier this year, we shared Charles’s story and announced that £10 for every new client joining Blue Spire would be donated to Sage House, helping them continue their incredible work supporting local people living with dementia and their families.
Remembering Charles
It is difficult to sum up someone with as much character as Charles in a few paragraphs.
He was our founder, a colleague and a friend. He was someone many of our clients knew personally and someone who played an enormous part in creating the business that Blue Spire is today.
But beyond the business, he was a much-loved Dad, family man and friend.
We know that many people reading this will have their own memories and stories of Charles, and we hope they will remember him with the same warmth and fondness with which we do.
Charles started something in 1989 that has continued to grow, change and evolve over more than three decades.
We are incredibly proud of what that has become. And we are incredibly proud that Charles will always be part of its story.
Our thoughts and love remain with Katie and all of Charles’s family.
