NORTH OF ENGLAND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY (THE)

Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers

Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.

Accounting basis

FRS 102

Reporting scope

Consolidated group

Auditor

Grant Thornton UK LLP

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“The Trustees of the Charity and group have adopted the going concern basis for the preparation of the financial statements. The Trustees have arrived at this opinion having reviewed budgets and forecasts, working capital requirements and borrowing facilities for the period through to 31 May 2026, considering reasonable downside scenarios alongside contractual commitments for the completion of The Reserve project, which finishes in summer 2025. They are satisfied that the charitable parent company and group can adequately fund operations and commitments for the foreseeable future.”

Group structure

1. NORTH OF ENGLAND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY (THE) · parent
   1. Chester Zoo Enterprises Limited 100% · UK · Catering and retail
   2. Chester Zoo Hotels Limited 100% · UK · Hotel
   3. Chester Zoo (Nigeria) Limited 100% · UK · Dormant
   4. Chester Zoo Foundation Nigeria 100% · UK · Dormant

Significant events

• “In 2024, Chester Zoo welcomed nearly two million visitors, and its membership grew to over 155,000 members. ”
• “The International Centre for Zoo Science was opened in November 2024, tripling the size of previous lab facilities.”
• “Snow leopards Yashin and Nubra arrived in March 2024 as part of a European conservation breeding programme.”
• “A rare Nubian giraffe calf, Edie, was born contributing to the endangered species breeding programme.”
• “A blue-eyed ground dove chick hatched in Brazil, becoming only the third of its kind ever raised in human care.”
• “Over 1,300 critically endangered Madeira snails were reintroduced into the wild.”
• “Chester Zoo was named the UK's no. 1 zoo by Tripadvisor.”
• “Almost 19,000 trees were planted on the zoo's estate, transforming a low-biodiversity silage field into a major new sanctuary for UK wildlife.”
• “One of the rarest plants in the world, Cotoneaster cambricus, was reintroduced to a secret site in Wales, with 30 plants planted.”
• “In June 2024, the zoo hosted 'The Big Nature and Climate Debate' ahead of the election.”
• “The Heart of Africa site and The Reserve development projects remained on track for their 2025 openings.”

Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers

Filings

10

last 12 months

Capital events

0

last 24 months

Officers appointed

2

last 12 months

Officers resigned

2

last 12 months

Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.

• Turnover

  +5.1%

  £36,448,000 → £38,289,000

• Cash

  -6.4%

  £5,461,000 → £5,114,000

• Net assets

  +3.5%

  £63,554,000 → £65,768,000

• Employees

  +0.7%

  947 → 954

• Wages

  +9.2%

  £20,326,000 → £22,195,000

Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. The comparison is only shown when the latest and prior accounts cover broadly equal-length periods — short or long stubs (typical around incorporation or a year-end change) are suppressed rather than misrepresented. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers