ANIMAL FORUM LIMITED
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 65). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-04-05 | 2024-04-05 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 100 | 100 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Corporate timeline (16 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-08-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-02-22➖BARKWORTH, Elena resigneddirector
- 2023-02-22📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-11-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-07-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2016-06-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-04-07📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2016-03-25➖BARKWORTH, William Leslie resigneddirector
- 2015-07-15📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 1971-01-20🏢Company incorporatedAs ANIMAL FORUM LIMITED
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 55 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
cleanShareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr John Patrick Barkworth Individual · British · DOB 05/1961 · age 65 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 16/05/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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8 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
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