The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Birchgrove Healthcare (Sussex) Limited provides nursing, and dementia care services to elderly people. The company is a subsidiary of Ashton Healthcare Group.

Revenue increased by 7% to £3.31 million in 2025, compared with £3.10 million in 2024, supported by continued demand for the company’s care services. Gross profit increased to £1.27 million from £1.20 million, although the gross profit margin reduced to 38.2% from 38.9%, principally reflecting continued pressure on staffing and other direct operating costs.

Administrative expenses increased to £414,702 from £382,650. This principally reflected increases in property repairs and maintenance, premises insurance and water costs, partly offset by renegotiating contracts to lower power, light and heat expenditure.

Operating profit increased to £851,242 from £820,947. The company remained financially sound during the year, supported by its profitable operating base and property assets. Net assets increased to £10.95 million at 31 December 2025, compared with £10.11 million at 31 December 2024, principally reflecting retained profits.

The company’s services operate within a regulated care environment. Birchgrove Healthcare (Sussex) Limited remains focused on maintaining quality, regulatory compliance and the long-term sustainability of its care services.

The directors continue to monitor and manage a range of risks, including:

• Occupancy and demand risk – Lower occupancy or changes in resident demand could reduce revenue and place pressure on cash flow. This is mitigated through maintaining service quality, monitoring occupancy, managing referrals and maintaining relationships with local authorities, the NHS and private-paying residents.

• Workforce, wage and recruitment risk – Changes to the National Living Wage, employer National Insurance contributions and wider recruitment conditions may increase labour costs, with uncertain ability to recover all increases through fee adjustments. Mitigation includes recruitment and retention activity, workforce planning, cost control, fee reviews and monitoring of staff productivity.

• Respiratory diseases and infection control – Ongoing infection risks to residents and staff are managed through established infection-prevention and control procedures, appropriate cleaning arrangements, staff training, vaccination support where appropriate and outbreak procedures.

• Market and commissioning risk – The company operates within a regulated care market supported by local authority, NHS and private-pay arrangements. Funding priorities, fee rates and payment patterns may change from time to time and could influence revenue and cash flow. The company mitigates this risk through its established relationships, monitoring of occupancy and fees, and continued focus on quality and regulatory compliance.

• Regulatory and quality risk – Failure to comply with regulations could lead to enforcement action, reputational damage or loss of registration. The company maintains quality policies, governance arrangements, audit processes and staff training to support resident safety and compliance with Care Quality Commission requirements.

• Business continuity risk – Events affecting staffing, premises, utilities, information systems or the wider operating environment could disrupt the delivery of care. The company mitigates this risk through business-continuity planning, operational procedures, contingency arrangements and close monitoring of staffing and service resilience.

• Economic and supplier-cost risk – Inflation and supply-chain disruption may increase energy, food, insurance, maintenance and other operating costs. Sustained cost increases could pressure margins if not recovered through fees or operational efficiencies. Mitigation includes budgeting, supplier engagement, expenditure monitoring and regular review of operating costs.

The company measures its performance using both internal and industry benchmarks. KPIs include:

• Occupancy rates and average resident fees

• Operating-profit margins and cash generation.

• Payroll and non-payroll cost control.

• Staffing levels, recruitment and retention.

• CQC compliance and quality-monitoring outcomes.

In 2025, revenue and operating profit increased, while the company continued to focus on the delivery of high-quality care and the effective management of staffing and other operating costs.

Future developments

The company will continue to focus on maintaining high standards of nursing, residential and dementia care, supporting its workforce and sustaining occupancy and financial performance.

The company will continue to follow its strategic approach to the operation and development of its care services. The directors believe that continued focus on care quality, regulatory compliance, workforce stability and cost management will provide a sound basis for the future development of the business.

On behalf of the board

The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025.

The principal activity of the company continued to be that of care services. These include a range of nursing and residential services to the elderly and to people with dementia.

The results for the year are set out on page 8.

No ordinary dividends were paid. The directors do not recommend payment of a final dividend.

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

Details of principal risks, including financial instrument risks, are detailed in the Strategic Report.

The directors have disclosed any future developments in the Strategic Report.

The auditor, Sumer Audit, is deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.

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.

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;

• 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 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.

We have audited the financial statements of Birchgrove Healthcare (Sussex) Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 31 December 2025 which comprise the statement of comprehensive income, the statement of financial position and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 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 2025 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.

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 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.

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 company and its 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, 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

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.

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.

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 that the company operates in, focusing on those laws and regulations that had a direct effect on the financial statements and operations;

• Obtaining an understanding of the company’s policies and procedures on fraud risks, including knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud; and

• Discussing among the engagement team how and where fraud might occur in the financial statements and any potential indicators of fraud through our knowledge and understanding of the company and our sector-specific experience.

As a result of these procedures, we considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the company for fraud. We are also required to perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management override. As a result of performing the above, we identified the following areas as those most likely to have an impact on the financial statements: health & safety, employment law, compliance with the CQC and compliance with the UK Companies Act.

In addition to the above, our procedures to respond to risks identified included the following:

• Making enquiries of management about any known or suspected instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations and fraud;

• Reviewing correspondence with regulators;

• Challenging assumptions and judgements made by management in their significant accounting estimates, including the fair value of property, plant and equipment; and

• Auditing the risk of management override of controls, including through testing journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness.

Due to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that some material misstatements in the financial statements may not be detected, even though the audit is properly planned and performed in accordance with the ISAs (UK). For instance, the further removed non-compliance is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the auditor is to become aware of it or to recognise the non-compliance.

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.

The income statement has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.

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

Birchgrove Healthcare (Sussex) Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 13 Oathall Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3EG.

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.

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 £1.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties at fair value. 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 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’: Compensation for key management personnel.

At the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The directors have considered relevant information, including the company’s principal risks and uncertainties, the annual budget, forecast future cash flows and the impact of subsequent events in making their assessment.  Based on these assessments and having regard to the resources available to the entity, the directors have concluded that there is no material uncertainty and that they can continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the annual report and financial statements.true

Revenue is recognised at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable for services provided in the normal course of business, is shown net of VAT and on an accruals basis.

Intangible assets acquired separately from a business are recognised at cost and are subsequently measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.

Property, plant and equipment are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is credited or charged to profit or loss.

Properties whose fair value can be measured reliably are held under the revaluation model and are carried at a revalued amount, being their fair value at the date of valuation less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses. The fair value of the land and buildings is usually considered to be their market value.

Revaluations are made with sufficient regularity to ensure that the carrying amount in the financial statements does not differ materially from that which would be determined using the fair value at the end of the reporting period.

Revaluation gains and losses are recognised in other comprehensive income and accumulated in equity, except to the extent that a revaluation gain reverses a revaluation loss previously recognised in profit or loss or a revaluation loss exceeds the accumulated revaluation gains recognised in equity; such gains and losses are recognised in profit or loss.

At each reporting period end date, the company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible 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 is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss.

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. If the recoverable amount of an asset is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset is reduced to its recoverable amount. An impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation decrease.

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell.

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial instruments and includes deposits held at call with banks.

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 statement of financial position 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.

The company enters into basic financial instruments transactions that result in the recognition of financial assets and liabilities like trade and other accounts receivable and payable and loans from related parties.

Debt instruments like loans and other accounts receivable and payable are initially measured at the transaction price (including transaction costs) and subsequently at amortised cost using the effective interest method; debt instruments that are payable or receivable within one year are measured, initially and subsequently, at the undiscounted amount of the cash or other consideration expected to be paid or received.

Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire, or when it transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity. Financial liabilities are derecognised when, and only when, the company’s obligations are discharged, cancelled, or they expire.

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.

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.

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.

The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense.

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

Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease.

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.

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.

The director's valuation relating to the fair value of property, plant and equipment is based on their use of the professional valuation carried out on behalf of the company's lenders in August 2025 at £6.09 million taking into account any additions, disposals and depreciation since this date. The valuation was carried out in accordance with The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, undertaken by Savills, an independent firm of Chartered Surveyors with a recognised and relevant professional qualification and with recent experience in the location and category of the property, plant and equipment being valued. The valuations were both made on the basis of existing use as a fully-equipped operational entity having regard to grow its trading potential over the coming years in line with Section 27 of FRS 102.

The company operates in one principal activity, that of the supply of services, which is wholly undertaken in the United Kingdom. Turnover is therefore made up 100% by the fees in relation to the supply of these services.

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

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

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:

In addition to the amount charged to the income statement, the following amounts relating to tax have been recognised directly in other comprehensive income:

There are fixed and floating charges held over the freehold land and buildings by the group's bankers.

The directors have valued property, plant and equipment as disclosed in note 2.

The following assets are carried at valuation. If the assets were measured using the cost model, the carrying amounts would be as follows:

The directors have confirmed, with regards to the amounts owed by group undertakings, that although £4,558,080 (2024 - £4,519,157) of this balance is repayable on demand and hence receivable within one year, no repayment of the balance will be sought until the creditor company is in a position to make such payment. It is anticipated that this will not be for at least two years from the statement of financial position date. The directors have also confirmed the same treatment for the amounts owed by group undertakings and that no interest is to be charged on the long term element.

The going concern conclusions as disclosed in 1.2 have therefore been arrived at on the basis that this balance will not be received within 12 months of the signing of the audit report.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset where the company has a legally enforceable right to do so. The following is the analysis of the deferred tax balances (after offset) for financial reporting purposes:

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.

All shares carry equal voting rights, equal rights to a dividend entitlement, equal rights to a distribution on

winding up and there is no likelihood of redemption.

At the reporting end date the company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:

There is a cross guarantee and debentures in place between the company, Ashton Healthcare Group Limited, Adelaide Healthcare Limited and Grove Park Healthcare Limited dated 30 September 2025. The maximum extent of this contingent liability at the year end could have amounted to £36,510,000 (2024 - £22,975,621).

The immediate and ultimate parent company is Ashton Healthcare Group Limited, a company controlled by Mr A S and Mrs M B Shookhye.

Ashton Healthcare Group Limited prepares consolidated financial statements and copies can be obtained from Companies House. The registered office of Ashton Healthcare Group Limited is 13 Oathall Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3EG.