ABBEYFIELD SECRETARIES LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
02954845 · ltd · incorporated 1994-08-02
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
Upgrade to see
Turnover
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

What this business does
Primary activity: Solicitors
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 66-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 66). 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: high (81/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
19 officers (2 active, 19 linked, 15 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
115 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
Net Worth
Current Assets
Current Liabilities
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (52 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-01-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-01-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-01-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-01-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-01-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  6. 2020-02-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  7. 2019-01-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  8. 2018-05-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  9. 2017-01-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  10. 2016-02-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  11. 2015-08-03
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  12. 2015-01-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  13. 2014-09-03
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  14. 2014-08-18
    📄
    change-corporate-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH04
  15. 2014-08-15
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  16. 2011-06-16
    HAWKINS, Chloe Jane resigned
    director
  17. 2009-07-23
    TAMILA, Charlene Marie resigned
    director
  18. 2007-11-05
    TAMILA, Charlene Marie appointed
    director
  19. 2006-05-15
    HAWKINS, Chloe Jane appointed
    director
  20. 2005-05-31
    DAVIES, Anna appointed
    director
  21. 2005-05-31
    DAVIES, Anna resigned
    director
  22. 2005-05-31
    DEAN, Salina appointed
    director
  23. 2005-05-31
    DEAN, Salina resigned
    director
  24. 2005-03-17
    NEWTON, Melissa resigned
    director
  25. 2004-02-05
    NEWTON, Melissa appointed
    director
  26. 2003-10-31
    NASH, Kerry Lee resigned
    director
  27. 2003-03-24
    KELLY, Eve Louise resigned
    director
  28. 2000-05-19
    KELLY, Eve Louise appointed
    director
  29. 2000-03-03
    MENZIES, James Newton resigned
    director
  30. 1998-08-02
    HOWARD, Patricia May resigned
    director
  31. 1997-08-13
    MENZIES, James Newton appointed
    director
  32. 1997-08-13
    NASH, Kerry Lee appointed
    director
  33. 1997-08-02
    MILLINER, Karen Jayne appointed
    director
  34. 1996-09-30
    GILLANI, Saeed Iqbal resigned
    director
  35. 1996-06-25
    DAVIES, Dunstana Adeshola resigned
    director
  36. 1995-11-16
    AWEGE, Heidi Gayna resigned
    director
  37. 1995-11-13
    DAVIES, Dunstana Adeshola appointed
    director
  38. 1995-09-13
    AWEGE, Heidi Gayna appointed
    director
  39. 1995-09-01
    FIELD, Joanna Maria resigned
    director
  40. 1995-06-26
    M & N SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  41. 1995-06-26
    MILLINER, Karen Jayne resigned
    secretary
  42. 1995-06-26
    MILLINER, Karen Jayne resigned
    director
  43. 1995-06-22
    GILLANI, Saeed Iqbal appointed
    director
  44. 1994-12-02
    HOWARD, Patricia May appointed
    director
  45. 1994-08-02
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ABBEYFIELD SECRETARIES LIMITED
  46. 1994-08-02
    MILLINER, Karen Jayne appointed
    secretary
  47. 1994-08-02
    M & N SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  48. 1994-08-02
    M & N SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  49. 1994-08-02
    FIELD, Joanna Maria appointed
    director
  50. 1994-08-02
    MILLINER, Karen Jayne appointed
    director
Showing most recent 50 of 52 events

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 32 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

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Group structure

Abbeyfield Associates Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Abbeyfield Associates Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
ABBEYFIELD SECRETARIES LIMITED
This company · 02954845

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Abbeyfield Associates Limited
Corporate entity
75100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016

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 · Professional services · KT postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
272 CONSULTING LIMITED
13843050 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
4y
4C GROWTH LIMITED
15672578 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
1y
8PERCENTANDROID LIMITED
09603896 · est 2015 · no financials extracted
10y
A AND J ACCOUNTANTS LIMITED
15942397 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
1y
AADEVA LIMITED
04409763 · est 2002 · no financials extracted
24y
AARIZ & CO. LTD
11830288 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
7y
AB QUANTUM TALENT HR SOLUTIONS LTD
16633418 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
AB11 CONSULTING LTD
17078497 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
ABACUS ACCOUNTANCY AND PAYROLL SERVICES LIMITED
06644762 · est 2008 · no financials extracted
17y
ABACUS4EVER LIMITED
09317518 · est 2014 · no financials extracted
11y
ABASS STUDIO LIMITED
07984242 · est 2012 · no financials extracted
14y
ABC MUSIC HOLDINGS LIMITED
10062836 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
10y
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

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 →
🔒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
Incorporated1994-08-02
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC69102 — Solicitors

Registered office

1 Princeton Mews
167-169 London Road
Kingston Upon Thames
Surrey
KT2 6PT

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-16
Last: 2025-08-02

Officers (2 active · 17 resigned)

M & N SECRETARIES LIMITED
corporate-secretary · appointed 1995-06-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MILLINER, Karen Jayne
director · ~66y · appointed 1997-08-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MILLINER, Karen Jayne
secretary · appointed 1994-08-02 · resigned 1995-06-26
Resigned
M & N SECRETARIES LIMITED
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1994-08-02 · resigned 1994-08-02
Resigned
AWEGE, Heidi Gayna
director · ~60y · appointed 1995-09-13 · resigned 1995-11-16
Resigned
DAVIES, Anna
director · ~51y · appointed 2005-05-31 · resigned 2005-05-31
Resigned
DAVIES, Dunstana Adeshola
director · ~72y · appointed 1995-11-13 · resigned 1996-06-25
Resigned
DEAN, Salina
director · ~43y · appointed 2005-05-31 · resigned 2005-05-31
Resigned
FIELD, Joanna Maria
director · ~59y · appointed 1994-08-02 · resigned 1995-09-01
Resigned
GILLANI, Saeed Iqbal
director · ~73y · appointed 1995-06-22 · resigned 1996-09-30
Resigned
HAWKINS, Chloe Jane
director · ~45y · appointed 2006-05-15 · resigned 2011-06-16
Resigned
HOWARD, Patricia May
director · ~87y · appointed 1994-12-02 · resigned 1998-08-02
Resigned
KELLY, Eve Louise
director · ~43y · appointed 2000-05-19 · resigned 2003-03-24
Resigned
MENZIES, James Newton
director · ~58y · appointed 1997-08-13 · resigned 2000-03-03
Resigned
MILLINER, Karen Jayne
director · ~66y · appointed 1994-08-02 · resigned 1995-06-26
Resigned
NASH, Kerry Lee
director · ~46y · appointed 1997-08-13 · resigned 2003-10-31
Resigned
NEWTON, Melissa
director · ~57y · appointed 2004-02-05 · resigned 2005-03-17
Resigned
TAMILA, Charlene Marie
director · ~38y · appointed 2007-11-05 · resigned 2009-07-23
Resigned
GUARDHEATH SECURITIES LIMITED
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1994-08-02 · resigned 1994-08-02
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Recent filings (115 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-01-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-01-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-01-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-01-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-01-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-08-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2020-02-06
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-08-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2019-01-22
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-08-02