AFH Group has welcomed Shoreham-based independent financial adviser John Walpole to its UK-wide financial planning community.

John will continue to serve his 130 clients who mostly live in Sussex and Hampshire, and they will now benefit from AFH’s in-house specialist expertise.

John said: “I believe my clients will get an enhanced level of service, now I can call on the in-house expertise of the whole AFH group.

“And the significantly larger back-up resources in AFH will allow me to spend less time on the computer and more time with my clients.”

AFH chief executive Alan Hudson said: “I’m delighted to welcome John to AFH and look forward to working with him to continue our growth in the South East and across the UK.

“AFH provides successful IFAs an opportunity to continue to provide their clients with professional advice and grow their business while benefiting from the back-office resources and purchasing power of AFH Group.

“This continues our strategy of sustainable growth while keeping the group debt-free.”

The £1.1m deal is the second expansion in a month for AFH, which also owns a property portfolio that includes the Integrated Care Clinics’ building in Fareham, cementing the group’s position as one of the largest independent financial services firms in the country.

l Based in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, AFH Financial Group was founded by chartered financial planner Alan Hudson in 1990.

In the last financial year AFH notched up 20 per cent organic growth and now serves around 10,000 clients, with £2.7 billion under management.

Its turnover in the financial year to October 31 was £33 million, up from £24 million the year before.

Since 2014 AFH has been listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM.

It is capitalised at more than £100 million.