One of the greatest privileges of our job is helping clients design a life they truly love — not just a financial plan, but a vision of what a full, healthy and meaningful life actually looks like for them.
We use the three Kinder Questions – a life-planning framework used by financial planners around the world – to get to the heart of what really matters. What would you do if you had all the time and money in the world? What if you had just ten years left? A day? These aren’t easy questions, but the answers change everything about how we plan.
We make sure clients know their options, have the time and money to invest in themselves, and are protected should anything happen – whether through insurance, mortgage protection or Inheritance Tax planning.
Madeleine is an obsessive CrossFitter and Spartan race competitor who understands first-hand what it means to prioritise your health and wellbeing. That same energy drives how she works with clients – helping them get clear on what truly matters, and making sure their finances give them the freedom to live it.
Most of us were never taught how to manage money. It wasn’t on the school curriculum, it rarely came up at home, and for many people that gap follows them into adulthood — leaving them uncertain, under-informed and often making decisions that don’t serve them well. Madeleine’s own financial education at school amounted to learning how to write a cheque. Times have changed, but the gap in financial education really hasn’t.
Something needs to change. And in our own small way, we’re trying to help.
We take time to educate every client about their finances. We explain how powerful pensions really are, how investments can be a tool for building the life they want, and how to think about risk in a way that actually makes sense. Some clients want the big picture; others want every detail. We work at their pace, in their language, until they feel confident and clear.
Because financial education isn’t just about money. It’s about freedom — the freedom to make informed choices, plan with confidence, and live life on your own terms.
For too long, money was seen as a man’s domain. That’s changing and we’re glad to be part of that change. Over half of our clients are women, whether managing their finances independently, with a partner, or taking joint responsibility for the first time.
But we don’t just celebrate that statistic – we actively work to make it the norm.
We make sure that all partners are always part of the conversation, present at meetings and genuinely involved in decisions. We ask every client to complete their initial life planning questions separately, so that every voice is heard and every set of hopes and priorities is considered in its own right. And we structure finances between partners as fairly as possible, making the most of tax allowances and ensuring that wealth doesn’t sit lopsidedly in one person’s name – whoever that person may be.
As a female business owner, this is something Madeleine feels personally. She runs Blueberry Financial and she knows first-hand that when women are in control of their money, good things happen. But equality cuts both ways and we’re committed to making sure every client feels heard, informed and empowered when it comes to their finances.
Because financial independence isn’t just a nice idea. It’s a form of security, confidence and freedom – and helping every one of our clients achieve it is something that is very important to us.
Waste is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. British households alone generate around 26 million tonnes of waste every year – more than a kilogram per person, per day. It’s a number that’s hard to ignore.
Reducing what we consume is one of the simplest things any of us can do. At Blueberry Financial, we’ve made practical changes across the business to do our bit. We’ve moved to an online client portal and use Adobe Sign to cut down on paper, shred and recycle all sensitive documents, and buy recycled printer paper from The Woodland Trust.
But we know the small stuff adds up and we’re always thinking about how to go further. We use our newsletters to share ideas with clients too: swapping disposable items for reusable alternatives like washable cotton pads or metal toothpaste tubes are easy wins that make a real difference over time.
Every decision, however small, is made with our impact on the planet in mind.
It’s no secret that the world needs to stop global warming and achieve carbon neutrality — and at Blueberry Financial, we believe every business has a role to play, however small.
On the technology side, we use OneDrive for cloud storage. We made the switch to Microsoft deliberately — the company has made some of the most ambitious climate commitments in the tech sector, including a goal to be carbon negative by 2030.
In the office, we have motion-sensor lighting that switches off automatically when rooms are empty.
We support Greenpeace as a company, backing their work to hold governments and corporations accountable on climate.
Staying ahead on climate also means staying informed. Madeleine regularly attends sustainability conferences to explore the latest thinking on climate action and to discover new ways to invest clients’ money more responsibly. It’s how we make sure our advice reflects not just where sustainable investing has been, but where it’s heading.
But perhaps the most meaningful thing we do is through your investments. At least 20% of all client investments and pensions are invested in ESG funds through EQ Investors’ Positive Impact Portfolios, and around 80% of our client investment portfolios are held in ebi’s Earth Portfolios – a range built around sustainable, low-cost index funds that screen out harmful industries and tilt towards companies leading on environmental and social responsibility. Together, this means the overwhelming majority of your money is actively working to support a cleaner, more sustainable economy.
And on a personal note, Madeleine drives an electric car, charging it overnight when demand on the grid is at its lowest, and cycles to work when she can. She’s also hoping to reclaim the greenhouse from her son’s engineering projects next year and get back to growing her own vegetables – watch this space.
To help meet this goal, we have become members of two groups: the Marine Conservation Society and the Surfers Against Sewage Open Network.
As company members of this UK-wide community of ocean lovers, we work together towards a vision of a sea full of life, where nature flourishes and people thrive.
The society fights for our ocean through people-powered action, with science on its side. They defend habitats and species, working with communities, businesses and governments.
This grassroots movement has grown into one of the UK’s most active and successful environmental charities.
They’re a community dedicated to protecting oceans, waves, beaches and wildlife. They fight to protect what we love and won’t stop until it’s completely clean, safe and protected for everyone.
WWF's 2024 Living Planet Report details an average 73% decline in wildlife populations since 1970. Nearly three quarters of the world's wildlife - gone in just 50 years. It's devastating.
That's why we've made protecting life on land a core part of how we operate — not just as a business commitment, but as something we genuinely care about.
We partner with Ecologi to offset our carbon footprint and fund tree planting projects around the world. Through our plan, we're contributing to verified carbon reduction projects and reforestation efforts globally and you can see our live impact on our Blueberry Financial Ecologi profile.
We also donate monthly to WWF and the Woodland Trust, supporting their vital work to protect wildlife and restore the natural habitats that are disappearing at an alarming rate. These aren't tick-box donations — they're organisations doing extraordinary work on the ground, and we're proud to back them.
On a personal level, Madeleine has recently signed up to donate monthly to the Wildlife Trust and is hoping to volunteer her time with them too. Because protecting life on land isn't just something we fund from a distance, it's something we want to be genuinely part of.
The way money is invested is one of the most powerful tools we have to shape the world we live in. At Blueberry Financial, we believe your money should do more than grow — it should do good.
That’s why our client portfolios are invested in EQ Investors’ Positive Impact Funds and ebi’s Earth Portfolios — strategies built around companies that are not only good for the planet, but treat their employees and supply chains with fairness and integrity. EQ Investors actively avoid business models that drive biodiversity destruction and accelerate climate change, including fossil fuel extractives and unsustainable agriculture. ebi’s Earth Portfolios take a similar approach, using sustainable, low-cost index funds that tilt towards the companies leading on environmental and social responsibility.
Together, these strategies mean that the overwhelming majority of your money is already working to support all seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals — from climate action and clean energy to reduced inequalities and life on land.
The investment case is compelling too. It is estimated that over $5 trillion of additional investment is needed every year to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals — and that gap is growing. The companies and technologies that can help close it represent some of the most significant long-term growth opportunities available to investors today.
So at Blueberry Financial, you don’t have to choose between doing well and doing good. We believe the two go hand in hand — and we invest accordingly.
And if you're lucky, a chocolate biscuit too!!
Whether it’s a tea, coffee or hot chocolate (Madeleine’s favourite), we think a drink and a chat in a relaxed environment is the perfect way to get things started.
