An accountant at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has won a top national award for her inspirational career journey and achievements.
Lorraine Flynn was the winner of the Distance Learning Student of the Year Award at this year's PQ magazine accountancy awards, which took place in London on Monday 27 April 2026.
Lorraine, who initially studied orthoptics before leaving university to care for her children, has overcome incredible odds in recent years to become a fully qualified accountant despite experiencing a stroke in 2020 and a series of other obstacles.
After joining an accountancy firm as a receptionist in 2018, Lorraine became interested in it as a career. She began studying part-time for the internationally recognised ACCA qualification in accountancy, and also for a degree in applied accounting. Initially her studies went well and Lorraine progressed through the first few modules without too many problems, balancing her academic work with her job and a busy family life.
But in 2020 everything changed. First, the COVID pandemic meant all the exam centres shut down. Then, in June 2020, Lorraine experienced a stroke that significantly affected her memory and concentration, as well as some physical effects.
"It was very frustrating," says Lorraine. "I was used to being able to pick things up quite easily but I started failing exams and finding it much harder to concentrate, understand and remember things. Worst of all, I lost all my ability with numbers which was obviously a problem studying accountancy.
“I am quite stubborn, though, so I persevered and learnt different strategies to help me remember all the concepts.”
Lorraine joined The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre's finance team in July 2021, initially working in accounts receivable processing invoices and incoming payments. Despite all the challenges, she stuck with her studies over the next few years and was encouraged by her colleagues in our Finance Team.
And in 2025, she achieved the triple successes of completing her ACCA qualification to become a fully qualified accountant, graduating with a degree in applied accounting, and being promoted to a role as a Financial Accountant at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
Lorraine was nominated for the PQ magazine Distance Learning Student of the Year Award by Acowtancy, her learning provider.
Lorraine said:
I’m absolutely thrilled to receive this award. Being named Distance Learning Student of the Year is an incredible honour, especially as I have now fully qualified. I’m very grateful to my colleagues and mentors for their support, and I’m excited to keep learning, growing, and developing in the profession.
Lucy Blackhurst, Deputy Director of Finance at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said:
We are all absolutely thrilled and delighted for Lorraine because she is so deserving of this award. She really is an inspiration and has always been a hugely valued member of the team. We're all over the moon that her hard work, determination and achievements have been recognised in this way.
