GAVIN READER LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
02709453 · ltd · incorporated 1992-04-24
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 32.2y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Apr 2025
Net worth
£153.7k
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Gambling and betting activities
Sector: Arts, entertainment & recreation
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 70/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 5 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
5 live charges · oldest 32.2y
65/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 32.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
13 officers (4 active, 13 linked, 4 with DOB)
76
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
102 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
82
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £153,669
Net assets shrinking
Down £116,893 YoY
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£154k
↓ 43% YoY
Current Assets
£53k
↓ 14% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-04-30 | 2024-04-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £163.2k | £288.4k |
| Current assets | £52.9k | £61.7k |
| Net assets | £153.7k | £270.6k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
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
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
4
filings
- • 2 officers
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Last 180 days
5
filings
- • 2 officers
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (44 events)Click to expand
- 2026-05-19📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-05-19📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2026-05-13📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2026-01-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-01-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-05➕READER, Meridon Rose appointedsecretary
- 2022-08-05➖OLIPHANT, Jana resignedsecretary
- 2022-08-05📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-08-05📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2022-08-01➕OLIPHANT, Jana appointedsecretary
- 2022-08-01➖READER, Meridon Rose resignedsecretary
- 2022-08-01📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-08-01📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2022-01-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-01-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-02-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2016-12-22➕READER, Luke William appointeddirector
- 2016-12-22➕READER, Meridon Rose appointeddirector
- 2013-03-08➖DONKIN, Wendy resignedsecretary
- 2013-03-08➕READER, Luke William appointedsecretary
- 2013-03-08➖READER, Luke William resignedsecretary
- 2013-03-08➕READER, Meridon Rose appointedsecretary
- 2010-02-18➕DONKIN, Wendy appointedsecretary
- 2010-02-18➖TUNMORE, Margaret resignedsecretary
- 2001-08-03🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2000-09-30➖READER, Heidi Louise resignedsecretary
- 2000-09-30➕TUNMORE, Margaret appointedsecretary
- 2000-09-30➖READER, Heidi Louise resigneddirector
- 1998-12-10🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1997-07-01➕READER, Heidi Louise appointeddirector
- 1996-12-19🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1994-06-10🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1994-04-20🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1992-04-24🏢Company incorporatedAs GAVIN READER LIMITED
- 1992-04-24➕READER, Gavin appointeddirector
- 1992-04-24➕READER, Heidi Louise appointedsecretary
- 1992-04-24➕LONDON LAW SECRETARIAL LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1992-04-24➖LONDON LAW SECRETARIAL LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1992-04-24➕LONDON LAW SERVICES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1992-04-24➖LONDON LAW SERVICES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
91/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "READER" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 34 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
70/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 34 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 34 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 low5 live charges
lowHeavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Gavin Reader Individual · British · DOB 12/1966 · age 60 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Leisure & entertainment · SR postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BETH WARD LTD→ 11121089 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| BOUNCE NORTH EAST LTD→ 09938597 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| BRUCE'S GYM LIMITED→ 10808728 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| DALE HARDY MULTIMEDIA LTD→ 12711018 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| DEL BUONO LIMITED→ 07250559 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| EXILE JJA LTD→ 14795785 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| FANS MUSEUM CIC→ 09961796 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| FIT JAM LIMITED→ 09939822 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| FITNESSFACTORYPETERLEE LTD→ 14328151 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| G.M. LEISURE LIMITED→ 03453847 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | — | — |
| GAMEZONE EVENTS LTD→ 12076824 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| GBANA FITNESS LTD→ 08636247 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 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 →🔒Advanced scoring suite
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
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1992-04-24
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC92000 — Gambling and betting activities
Registered office
65 Church Street
Seaham
Co. Durham
SR7 7HF
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-07
Last: 2026-04-23
Officers (4 active · 9 resigned)
READER, Meridon Rose→
Activesecretary · appointed 2022-08-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
READER, Gavin→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 1992-04-24
View their other companies + combined net worth →
READER, Luke William→
Activedirector · ~33y · appointed 2016-12-22
View their other companies + combined net worth →
READER, Meridon Rose→
Activedirector · ~30y · appointed 2016-12-22
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DONKIN, Wendy→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2010-02-18 · resigned 2013-03-08
OLIPHANT, Jana→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2022-08-01 · resigned 2022-08-05
READER, Heidi Louise→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1992-04-24 · resigned 2000-09-30
READER, Luke William→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2013-03-08 · resigned 2013-03-08
READER, Meridon Rose→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2013-03-08 · resigned 2022-08-01
TUNMORE, Margaret→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-09-30 · resigned 2010-02-18
LONDON LAW SECRETARIAL LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1992-04-24 · resigned 1992-04-24
READER, Heidi Louise→
Resigneddirector · ~57y · appointed 1997-07-01 · resigned 2000-09-30
LONDON LAW SERVICES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1992-04-24 · resigned 1992-04-24
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
5
Total charges
5
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 03/08/2001 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 10/12/1998 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 19/12/1996 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 10/06/1994 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 20/04/1994 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (102 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-05-19
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-05-19
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-05-19
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-05-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-01-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-01-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-12-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-03-14
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-08-05
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2022-08-05
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-08-01
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2022-08-01