- Founded in 2020, Chester Rose, a Chartered, independent financial planning firm helping people achieve their financial goals;
- The funding from OakNorth will support Chester Rose’s fourth acquisition, adding £250m in assets under advice and taking its total assets under advice to £900m;
- The transaction further demonstrates OakNorth’s extensive experience supporting the UK’s IFA and wealth management sector, providing bespoke funding to help ambitious businesses execute their acquisition and growth strategies;
- The UK’s financial advisory sector is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.4% from 2025-30, driven by more complex pension and tax rules, an ageing population and digital transformation[1].
Manchester, 9th November, 2026: OakNorth, the leading digital bank for entrepreneurs, has provided a £2m loan to Chester Rose Financial Planning, a Chartered independent financial planning firm, to support its acquisition of Bespoke Independent Financial Advisors (Bespoke IFA), as part of a total £4.9m facility.
Founded in 2020 by Richard Dunbabin, Chester Rose is headquartered in Newbury, Berkshire, and provides independent financial planning and wealth management services to individuals and families across the UK. The business has pursued an ambitious buy-and-build strategy since launching, completing three acquisitions to date, including Heritage Financial Advisers, Time Financial Planning and Hencilla Canworth.
The acquisition of Crowthorne-based Bespoke IFA marks Chester Rose’s fourth acquisition and represents another significant milestone in its growth journey. The transaction will add £250m in assets under advice, taking Chester Rose’s total assets under advice to approximately £900m. Bespoke IFA’s core team and more than 500 clients will also join Chester Rose, strengthening its existing client base and expanding its financial planning capabilities.
Having previously funded its acquisitions predominantly through equity investment, Chester Rose has secured a £4.9m facility from OakNorth to support its latest transaction and wider growth ambitions. The funding will enable Chester Rose to continue building a high-quality, scalable financial planning business while maintaining its focus on delivering personalised advice and strong client relationships.
The transaction further demonstrates OakNorth’s growing presence in the UK’s IFA and wealth management sector, where it has supported numerous businesses with acquisition financing, refinancing and wider growth capital. Through its deep sector expertise, flexible financing structures and understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing IFA businesses, OakNorth is well positioned to support further consolidation across this highly fragmented market.
Richard Dunbabin, CEO of Chester Rose, says: “This acquisition is an important next step in our journey and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to building a firm not just of real scale but also of real substance. The addition of Bespoke IFA’s team, clients and assets further strengthens our foundation, and we look forward to supporting these clients with the same dedication and care that defines our shared approach. Having previously funded our acquisitions through equity, we were keen to work with a lender that truly understands the IFA sector and our ambitions for the business. OakNorth’s extensive experience supporting businesses in this space, combined with its flexible and commercial approach to lending, made it an ideal funding partner for this next stage of our growth.”
Stewart Haworth, Senior Director of Debt Finance at OakNorth, commented: “We’re delighted to be supporting Richard and the Chester Rose team as they continue to build a leading independent financial advice business. With the UK financial advisory sector set for strong structural tailwinds moving forward and with OakNorth having supported several ambitious IFA and wealth management businesses over the years, we’ve developed a strong understanding of the sector and the opportunities for growth, particularly through consolidation. We see significant potential to do more in this space and are keen to continue backing experienced management teams with the flexible, bespoke funding they need to execute their growth ambitions. We look forward to supporting Chester Rose on the next stage of its journey.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
[1] Mordor Intel – United Kingdom Financial Advisory Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence
About OakNorth
Launched in September 2015, OakNorth is the leading digital bank for entrepreneurs. It was founded to address the persistent funding gap facing lower mid-market businesses – a segment that accounts for a significant share of economic output yet remains underserved by traditional banks.
To date, OakNorth has provided over $24bn in lending to thousands of entrepreneur-led businesses across the UK and US, supporting the creation of more than 70,000 jobs and generating more than $54bn in economic value. Throughout multiple economic cycles, the bank has maintained a highly disciplined approach to credit, delivering performance metrics that place it among the top 1% of commercial banks globally.
It is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Visit www.oaknorth.com for more information.
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[1] Mordor Intel – United Kingdom Financial Advisory Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence