Company registration number 09868581 (England and Wales)
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
COMPANY INFORMATION
Directors
Mr Andrew Robinson
Ms Kirsten Waine
Mr Nicholas Fitzpatrick
Company number
09868581
Registered office
Horizon House
Longcroft
Keighley
West Yorkshire
United Kingdom
BD21 5AL
Auditor
BHP LLP
New Chartford House
Centurion Way
Cleckheaton
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD19 3QB
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
CONTENTS
Page
Directors' report
1
Directors' responsibilities statement
2
Independent auditor's report
3 - 5
Statement of income and retained earnings
6
Balance sheet
7
Notes to the financial statements
8 - 11
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
DIRECTORS' REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
- 1 -
The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Principal activities
The principal activity of the company was that of an intermediate holding company.
Directors
The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:
Mr Andrew Robinson
Ms Kirsten Waine
Mr Nicholas Fitzpatrick
Auditor
BHP LLP were appointed as auditor to the company and in accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006, a resolution proposing that they be re-appointed will be put at a General Meeting.
Statement of disclosure to auditor
So far as each person who was a director at the date of approving this report is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditor is unaware. Additionally, the directors individually have taken all the necessary steps that they ought to have taken as directors in order to make themselves aware of all relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditor is aware of that information.
Medium-sized companies exemption
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the medium-sized companies exemption.
On behalf of the board
Mr Andrew Robinson
Director
1 August 2025
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITIES STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
- 2 -
The directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law, the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the company website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT
TO THE MEMBERS OF UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
- 3 -
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Universal Group Holdings Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the statement of income and retained earnings, the balance sheet and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 December 2024 and of its profit for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:
the information given in the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the directors' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT
TO THE MEMBERS OF UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED (CONTINUED)
- 4 -
Matters on which we are required to report by exception
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors' report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
the directors were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemption in preparing the directors' report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.
Responsibilities of directors
As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
We gained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the company and the industry in which it operates and considered the risk of acts by the company that were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud. We designed audit procedures to respond to the risk, recognising that the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.
We focussed on laws and regulations, relevant to the company, which could give rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements. Our tests included agreeing the financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation, enquiries with management and review of company minutes. There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described and, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it.
As part of our audit, we addressed the risk of management override of internal controls, including testing of journals and review of nominal ledger. We evaluated whether there was evidence of bias by the directors that represented a risk of material misstatement due to fraud.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT
TO THE MEMBERS OF UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED (CONTINUED)
- 5 -
This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Ann Brown (Senior Statutory Auditor)
For and on behalf of BHP LLP, Statutory Auditor
Chartered Accountants
New Chartford House
Centurion Way
Cleckheaton
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD19 3QB
1 August 2025
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
STATEMENT OF INCOME AND RETAINED EARNINGS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
- 6 -
2024
2023
Notes
£
£
Turnover
-
-
Interest receivable and similar income
3
983,908
894,320
Profit before taxation
983,908
894,320
Tax on profit
Profit for the financial year
983,908
894,320
Retained earnings brought forward
Dividends
(833,908)
(894,320)
Retained earnings carried forward
150,000
-
The profit and loss account has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
BALANCE SHEET
AS AT
31 DECEMBER 2024
31 December 2024
- 7 -
2024
2023
Notes
£
£
£
£
Fixed assets
Investments
4
3,731,960
3,731,960
Current assets
-
-
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
5
(3,511,460)
(3,661,460)
Net current liabilities
(3,511,460)
(3,661,460)
Net assets
220,500
70,500
Capital and reserves
Called up share capital
40,000
40,000
Share premium account
30,500
30,500
Profit and loss reserves
150,000
Total equity
220,500
70,500
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions relating to medium-sized companies.
The financial statements were approved by the board of directors and authorised for issue on 1 August 2025 and are signed on its behalf by:
Mr Andrew Robinson
Director
Company registration number 09868581 (England and Wales)
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
- 8 -
1
Accounting policies
Company information
Universal Group Holdings Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Horizon House, Longcroft, Keighley, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, BD21 5AL.
1.1
Accounting convention
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 as applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The disclosure requirements of section 1A of FRS 102 have been applied other than where additional disclosure is required to show a true and fair view.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
This company is a qualifying entity for the purposes of FRS 102, being a member of a group where the parent of that group prepares publicly available consolidated financial statements, including this company, which are intended to give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the group. The company has therefore taken advantage of exemptions from the following disclosure requirements:
Section 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’: Presentation of a statement of cash flow and related notes and disclosures;
Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instrument Issues: Interest income/expense and net gains/losses for financial instruments not measured at fair value; basis of determining fair values; details of collateral, loan defaults or breaches, details of hedges, hedging fair value changes recognised in profit or loss and in other comprehensive income;
Section 26 ‘Share based Payment’: Share-based payment expense charged to profit or loss, reconciliation of opening and closing number and weighted average exercise price of share options, how the fair value of options granted was measured, measurement and carrying amount of liabilities for cash-settled share-based payments, explanation of modifications to arrangements;
Section 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’: Compensation for key management personnel.
The financial statements of the company are consolidated in the financial statements of Universal Horizon Limited. These consolidated financial statements are available from The Registrar of Companies, Companies House, Crown Way, Cardiff, CF14 3UZ.
1.2
Fixed asset investments
Interests in subsidiaries, associates and jointly controlled entities are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. The investments are assessed for impairment at each reporting date and any impairment losses or reversals of impairment losses are recognised immediately in profit or loss.
A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the company. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.
1.3
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
1
Accounting policies
(Continued)
- 9 -
1.4
Financial instruments
The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the company's balance sheet when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Other financial assets
Other financial assets, including investments in equity instruments which are not subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures, are initially measured at fair value, which is normally the transaction price. Such assets are subsequently carried at fair value and the changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss, except that investments in equity instruments that are not publicly traded and whose fair values cannot be measured reliably are measured at cost less impairment.
Impairment of financial assets
Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through profit and loss, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.
Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.
If there is a decrease in the impairment loss arising from an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed. The reversal is such that the current carrying amount does not exceed what the carrying amount would have been, had the impairment not previously been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in profit or loss.
Derecognition of financial assets
Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the company transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.
Classification of financial liabilities
Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities.
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
1
Accounting policies
(Continued)
- 10 -
Basic financial liabilities
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, bank loans, loans from fellow group companies and preference shares that are classified as debt, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Other financial liabilities
Derivatives, including interest rate swaps and forward foreign exchange contracts, are not basic financial instruments. Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognised in profit or loss in finance costs or finance income as appropriate, unless hedge accounting is applied and the hedge is a cash flow hedge.
Debt instruments that do not meet the conditions in FRS 102 paragraph 11.9 are subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss. Debt instruments may be designated as being measured at fair value through profit or loss to eliminate or reduce an accounting mismatch or if the instruments are measured and their performance evaluated on a fair value basis in accordance with a documented risk management or investment strategy.
Derecognition of financial liabilities
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
1.5
Equity instruments
Equity instruments issued by the company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of transaction costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the company.
1.6
Employee benefits
The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or fixed assets.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
UNIVERSAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
- 11 -
2
Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
3
Interest receivable and similar income
2024
2023
£
£
Interest receivable and similar income includes the following:
Income from shares in group undertakings
983,908
894,320
4
Fixed asset investments
2024
2023
£
£
Shares in group undertakings and participating interests
3,731,960
3,731,960
5
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
2024
2023
£
£
Amounts owed to group undertakings
3,511,460
3,661,460
6
Financial commitments, guarantees and contingent liabilities
There is a fixed and floating charge over the assets of the company which is held by debenture holders in the ultimate parent undertaking, Universal Horizon Ltd. The amount included as a liability on the balance sheet of Universal Horizon Ltd at 31 December 2024 is £369,959 (2023: £581,959).
7
Parent company
The company is controlled by its ultimate parent company Universal Horizon Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales.
The financial statements contain information about Universal Group Holdings Limited as an individual company and do not contain consolidated financial information about the group to which Universal Group Holdings Limited belongs.
The financial statements for Universal Horizon Ltd, which consolidate those of its subsidiary companies are available from The Registrar of Companies, Companies House, Crown Way, Cardiff, CF14 3UZ.
2024-12-312024-01-01falsefalsefalseCCH SoftwareCCH Accounts Production 2025.200Mr Andrew RobinsonMs Kirsten WaineMr Nicholas Fitzpatrick0098685812024-01-012024-12-3109868581bus:Director12024-01-012024-12-3109868581bus:Director22024-01-012024-12-3109868581bus:Director32024-01-012024-12-3109868581bus:RegisteredOffice2024-01-012024-12-31098685812024-12-31098685812023-01-012023-12-3109868581core:RetainedEarningsAccumulatedLosses2023-12-3109868581core:RetainedEarningsAccumulatedLosses2022-12-3109868581core:ShareCapital2024-12-3109868581core:ShareCapital2023-12-3109868581core:SharePremium2024-12-3109868581core:SharePremium2023-12-3109868581core:RetainedEarningsAccumulatedLosses2024-12-3109868581core:RetainedEarningsAccumulatedLosses2023-12-31098685812023-12-3109868581core:RetainedEarningsAccumulatedLosses2023-01-012023-12-3109868581core:CurrentFinancialInstrumentscore:WithinOneYear2024-12-3109868581core:CurrentFinancialInstrumentscore:WithinOneYear2023-12-3109868581core:CurrentFinancialInstruments2024-12-3109868581core:CurrentFinancialInstruments2023-12-3109868581bus:PrivateLimitedCompanyLtd2024-01-012024-12-3109868581bus:FRS1022024-01-012024-12-3109868581bus:Audited2024-01-012024-12-3109868581bus:FullAccounts2024-01-012024-12-31xbrli:purexbrli:sharesiso4217:GBP