ABSOLUTE RETURN FOR KIDS (ARK)
Get an alert when ABSOLUTE RETURN FOR KIDS (ARK) files next
Leroy will email you the moment a new filing lands at Companies House — one short note per filing, nothing else.
Next accounts due
2026-05-31 (this month)
Last filed for 2024-08-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-11-28 (in 6mo)
Last made up 2025-11-14
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£19M
-33.7% vs 2023
Net assets
£38M
-15% vs 2023
Employees
108
-13.6% vs 2023
Profit before tax
—
Period ending 2024-08-31
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2024-08-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-08-31 | 2024-08-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | — | — | |
| Operating profit | — | — | |
| Profit before tax | — | — | |
| Net profit | £9,273,000 | -£6,663,000 | |
| Cash | £29,393,000 | £19,488,000 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £89,813,000 | £78,064,000 | |
| Net assets | £44,308,000 | £37,645,000 | |
| Equity | £44,308,000 | £37,645,000 | |
| Average employees | 125 | 108 | |
| Wages | £6,098,000 | £5,223,000 |
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
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-08-31 | 2024-08-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 59.3% | 61.6% | |
| Current ratio | -2.70x | -1.17x |
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.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Consolidated group
- Auditor
- Buzzacott Audit LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The trustees have considered the risks facing the charity, the forecast of cash flows, and the level of reserves and are satisfied that Ark will be able to meet all financial obligations as they fall due over the next 12 months following approval of the accounts and therefore conclude that the charity is a going concern.”
Group structure
- ABSOLUTE RETURN FOR KIDS (ARK) · parent
- Ark UK Programmes 100%
- EdCity Development Limited 100%
- EdCity Office 100%
- EdCity Management Company Limited 100%
Significant events
- “In November 2023, former operations were discontinued and a new independent charity, Purposeful Ventures, was set up.”
- “In October 2023, three legacy ventures (Education Partnerships Group, Martingale Postgraduate Foundation, and STEM Excellence Portfolio) transferred operations.”
- “The £22.2m loan with the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham was fully repaid in July 2024.”
- “Ark (South Africa) Limited was formally dissolved on 12 November 2024.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
5 active · 17 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GODFREY, Kathryn Anna | Secretary | 2024-09-27 | — | — |
| CLAKE, Anthony Peter | Director | 2018-11-08 | Apr 1980 | British |
| FINK, Stanley, Lord | Director | 2004-04-26 | Sep 1957 | British |
| MARSHALL, Paul Roderick Clucas | Director | 2002-11-13 | Aug 1959 | British |
| WACE, Ian Gerald Patrick | Director | 2002-11-13 | Jan 1963 | British |
Show 17 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| BERNSTEIN, Paul | Secretary | 2009-01-29 | 2009-03-24 |
| BRADLEY, Steven John | Secretary | 2002-11-13 | 2003-03-11 |
| BROWN, Stephen John | Secretary | 2006-03-03 | 2009-01-30 |
| DAWSON, Elizabeth | Secretary | 2020-02-19 | 2024-05-24 |
| MANNION, Megan | Secretary | 2024-05-24 | 2024-09-27 |
| SANDALL, Michael | Secretary | 2009-03-24 | 2020-02-19 |
| VIGGERS, Gordon David | Secretary | 2003-03-11 | 2006-03-03 |
| BUSSON, Andre Arpad Pascal Cyril | Director | 2002-11-13 | 2015-11-16 |
| DUNNING, Paul Fraser | Director | 2002-11-13 | 2017-08-02 |
| GORTON, David Michael | Director | 2007-07-19 | 2010-03-15 |
| GUNDLE, Kevin Roy | Director | 2002-11-13 | 2018-07-31 |
| JENKINS, Nicholas David | Director | 2012-09-25 | 2016-07-05 |
| MOSES, Jennifer | Director | 2002-11-13 | 2018-04-07 |
| MYNERS, Paul, Lord | Director | 2010-11-30 | 2011-07-06 |
| PLATT, Michael Edward | Director | 2009-06-30 | 2015-11-16 |
| TOMLINSON, Blaine John | Director | 2002-11-13 | 2016-07-05 |
| WILLIAMS, Anthony Geraint | Director | 2010-09-28 | 2019-03-30 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 110 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-14 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-05-19 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2024-11-14 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-09-27 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2024-09-27 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2024-09-10 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2024-09-09 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2024-09-09 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2024-05-29 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2024-05-24 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2024-05-24 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2023-11-15 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-06-08 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2022-11-17 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-05-30 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2021-11-17 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-06-15 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2020-11-18 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2020-09-01 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2020-07-14 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 2
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-08-31 vs 2023-08-31
-
Turnover
—
Not reported
-
Cash
-33.7%
£29,393,000 £19,488,000
-
Net assets
-15%
£44,308,000 £37,645,000
-
Employees
-13.6%
125 108
-
Wages
-14.3%
£6,098,000 £5,223,000
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