The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 30 June 2025.

We aim to present a balanced and comprehensive review of the development and performance of the group during the year and of its position at the year end. Our review is consistent with the size and non-complex nature of the group and is written in the context of the risks and uncertainties we face.

The principal activities of the group continue to be sports ground contracting and the manufacture and sale of horticultural products.

The principal risks and uncertainties faced by the group continue to be the uncertainty over contracts that are won year on year. The continued success of the group depends on our ability to continue to maintain a good reputation which in turn will ensure the group wins more contracts and sustains the income from the manufacture and sale of horticultural products, consequently this will ensure the group continues to maintain a strong financial position. The results for the year and the financial position at the year end were considered as acceptable by the directors who believe that the group is well placed to take advantage of any opportunities that may arise.

We consider that our key financial performance indicators are those which communicate the financial performance and strength of the group, being turnover and profit. During the year turnover decreased by 20.4%, this was due to an decrease in business activity relating to the varied contracts undertaken during the year. The profit before tax has decreased to £2,168,263 (2024 restated - £3,638,739). A balance of £34,251 (2024 restated - £1,455,208 added to reserves) has been deducted from reserves.

On behalf of the board

The directors present their report and financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2025.

The results for the year are set out on page 6.

Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £1,700,000. The directors do not recommend payment of a further dividend.

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

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 group and company, and of the profit or loss of the group 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;

• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the group and company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the group’s and company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the group and 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 group and company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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 auditor of the company 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 auditor of the company is aware of that information.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the medium-sized companies exemption.

We have audited the financial statements of W. E. Hewitt & Son Limited (the 'parent company') and its subsidiaries (the 'group') for the year ended 30 June 2025 which comprise the group statement of comprehensive income, the group balance sheet, the company balance sheet, the group statement of changes in equity, the company statement of changes in equity, the group statement of cash flows 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 group's and the parent company's affairs as at 30 June 2025 and of the group's 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.

Basis for opinion

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 group and parent 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 group's and parent 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.

Other information

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 Strategic Report and the Directors' Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the Strategic Report and the Directors' Report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and the parent company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Strategic Report or 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 by the parent company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

• the parent company 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.

As explained more fully in the Directors' Responsibilities Statement set out on page 2, 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 parent 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 parent company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

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 identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, and then design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. However, responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud ultimately rests with both those charged with governance and management of the group of companies.

In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, our procedures included the following:

• obtaining an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the group and company by considering the nature of the industry in which the group and company operates and enquiring of management; and

• identifying the key laws and regulations considered to have a direct impact on the financial statements including the UK Companies Act 2006, UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice and UK tax legislation; and

• assessing how the group and company is complying with the applicable legal and regulatory framework by making further enquiries of management and observing the group and company's control environment regarding compliance with regulations and fraud prevention; and

• assessing the susceptibility of the group and company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur, by considering the effectiveness of the group and company’s accounting systems and controls and how these were monitored by management. Where the risk of material misstatement was considered to be higher in certain areas, further audit procedures were designed to address this increased risk; and

• discussing amongst the engagement team how and where fraud might occur in the financial statements and any potential indicators of fraud.

Our procedures to respond to risks identified included the following:

• reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations; and

• enquiry of group and company staff responsible for compliance to identify any instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations; and

• enquiry of management, those charged with governance and other relevant parties around actual and potential litigation claims; and

• reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance; and

• performing audit work over the risk of management override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing accounting estimates for bias; and

• communicating identified laws and regulations and potential fraud risks to all engagement team members and assessing whether there are any indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit; and

• performing audit work over revenue recognition including substantive tests of detail of a sample of revenue transactions.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

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.

Use of our report

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.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions relating to medium-sized groups.

As permitted by s408 Companies Act 2006, the company has not presented its own profit and loss account and related notes. The company’s profit for the year was £1,507,151 (2024 - £1,924,307 profit).

W. E. Hewitt & Son Limited (“the company”) is a private limited company domiciled and incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 45 Cambridge Road, Cosby, Leicester, LE9 1SJ.

The group consists of W. E. Hewitt & Son Limited and all of its subsidiaries.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards including FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

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, modified to include the revaluation of investment properties at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.

The 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 the exemption from preparing a statement of cash flows on the basis that the group statement of cash flows, included in these financial statements, includes the company's cash flows.

The consolidated group financial statements consist of the financial statements of the parent company W. E. Hewitt & Son Limited together with all entities controlled by the parent company (its subsidiaries).

All financial statements are made up to 30 June 2025. Where necessary, adjustments are made to the financial statements of subsidiaries to bring the accounting policies used into line with those used by other members of the group.

All intra-group transactions, balances and unrealised gains on transactions between group companies are eliminated on consolidation. Unrealised losses are also eliminated unless the transaction provides evidence of an impairment of the asset transferred.

Subsidiaries are consolidated in the group’s financial statements from the date that control commences until the date that control ceases.

At the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Turnover is recognised at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable for goods and services provided in the normal course of business; and comprises;

- Turnover from sports ground construction, which is recognised by reference to the stage of completion of the contract activity at the end of the reporting period when the stage of completion, costs incurred and costs to complete can be estimated reliably.

- Turnover from the manufacture and sale of horticultural products net of VAT and trade discounts, which is recognised on the date of delivery.

Tangible fixed assets are measured at cost, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Tangible fixed assets other than freehold land are stated at cost less depreciation. Freehold land is not depreciated on the basis that it has an indefinite useful economic life. Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

Investment property, which is property held to earn rentals and/or for capital appreciation, is initially recognised at cost, which includes the purchase cost and any directly attributable expenditure. Subsequently it is measured at fair value at the reporting end date. Changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss.

In the parent company financial statements, investments in subsidiaries are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses.

At each reporting period end date, the group reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset, or the asset’s cash generating unit, is estimated and compared to the carrying amount in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any). Where the carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount, an impairment loss is recognised in the profit and loss account unless the asset is carried at a revalued amount where the impairment loss is a revaluation decrease.

Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials. Provision is made for damaged, obsolete and slow-moving stock where appropriate.

Financial instruments are recognised in the group's balance sheet when the group becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are measured at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in the profit and loss account.

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. The group’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all timing differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the timing difference arises from goodwill or from the initial recognition of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the tax profit nor the accounting profit.

Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the profit and loss account, except when it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity.

When employees have rendered service to the company, short-term employee benefits to which the employees are entitled are recognised at the undiscounted amount expected to be paid in exchange for that service.

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee's services are received.

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

Transactions in currencies other than pounds sterling are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing at the dates of the transactions. At each reporting end date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing on the reporting end date. Gains and losses arising on translation in the period are included in profit or loss.

In the application of the group’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.

The estimates and assumptions which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are as follows.

As explained in note 1, where contracts can be estimated reliably, contract revenues and costs are recognised on a contract by contract basis using a stage of completion basis. The application of this accounting policy requires both the total costs of a contract and the stage of completion of contracts to be assessed.

Surveys of work performed are carried out by either qualified surveyors or the directors. An inherent degree of judgement will exist in determining the stage of completion on a contract at any given time.

The directors do not consider there to be any other key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements.

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the group and company during the year was:

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

The number of directors for whom retirement benefits are accruing under defined contribution schemes amounted to 3 (2024 - 3).

The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:

The investment properties have been valued on a fair value basis by the directors. On a historical cost basis these properties would have been included at an original cost of £661,957 (2024: £881,147).

Details of the company's subsidiaries at 30 June 2025 are as follows:

The registered address of Hewitts Sportsturf FR is 23/25 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 75001 PARIS

The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the group and company, and movements thereon:

A defined contribution pension scheme is operated for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the group in an independently administered fund.

The company may declare and pay dividends of the same or differing amounts separately on each class of share. Each class of share shall otherwise rank equally with the other classes of share as if they were one class.

The revaluation reserve comprises revaluation surpluses for investment properties.

Other reserves comprises a legal reserve within the subsidiary accounts.

The profit and loss reserve comprises retained profits and losses for the current and prior periods.

Group                        

Creditors falling due within one year include directors current account balances of £2,980,161 (2024: £2,305,287). Also included are balances owed to individuals who are of a close relation to the directors totalling £330,852 (2024: £181,910).

During the year, dividends totalling £1,500,000 (2024: £1,300,000) were paid to the directors of the group. Dividends of £200,000 (2024: £200,000) were also paid to individuals who are of a close relation to the directors.

Company                        

Creditors falling due within one year include directors current account balances of £2,980,161 (2024: £2,305,287). Also included are balances owed to individuals who are of a close relation to the directors totalling £330,852 (2024: £181,910).

During the year, dividends totalling £1,500,000 (2024: £1,300,000) were paid to the directors of the company. Dividends of £200,000 (2024: £200,000) were also paid to individuals who are of a close relation to the directors.

The company has taken advantage of the exemption offered by FRS 102 from the requirement to disclose transactions with wholly owned group companies on the grounds that consolidated financial statements are prepared by the ultimate parent company.

The company is under the control of Mr J W Hewitt and Mrs P B Hewitt, who together own 80% of the issued share capital.

The prior period adjustment relates to a restatement of the previously reported profit and loss account and balance sheet figures in relation to the overstatement of contract retentions. The comparative figures have been adjusted as follows: