COLUMBUS BIDCO LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-08-30 (in 3mo)
Last made up 2025-08-16
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£776K
Latest balance sheet
Net assets
-£44M
-3.1% vs 2023
Employees
0
Average over period
Profit before tax
-£1M
-14.5% vs 2023
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | — | — | |
| Operating profit | -£72,000 | -£71,000 | |
| Profit before tax | -£1,144,000 | -£1,310,000 | |
| Net profit | -£1,144,000 | -£1,310,000 | |
| Cash | — | £776,000 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | -£26,566,000 | -£44,003,000 | |
| Net assets | -£42,693,000 | -£44,003,000 | |
| Equity | -£42,693,000 | -£44,003,000 | |
| Average employees | 0 | 0 | |
| Wages | — | — |
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 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on capital employed | 0.3% | 0.2% | |
| Current ratio | 0.16x | 0.12x | |
| Interest cover | -0.07x | -0.06x |
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
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Crowe U.K. LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis. The directors have considered future profit projections and cash flows and mitigating actions. Since the year end, facilities have been refinanced and extended. As a result, directors have additional confidence in the group's ability to continue as a going concern.”
Group structure
- COLUMBUS BIDCO LIMITED · parent
- Explore Learning Limited 100%
- Explore Horizons Incorporated 100%
Significant events
- “Subsequent to the balance sheet date, on 28th March 2025, the company renewed its existing bank facilities, which were due to expire on 30th September 2025. The renewal includes a continuation of the credit line at £9.7 million... In addition to the bank facility renewal, the redemption date of the £21.77m of unsecured loan notes has been extended to 31 October 2029.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
7 active · 10 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TITCOMB, Paul Andrew | Secretary | 2025-07-29 | — | — |
| CANDOLFI, Yaelle | Director | 2024-06-13 | Jan 1979 | Swiss |
| HAYCOX, Lisa Marie | Director | 2016-01-26 | Apr 1981 | British |
| KELLY, David Thomas | Director | 2021-07-19 | Sep 1963 | British,Irish |
| LIGHT, Craig Jonathan | Director | 2014-04-01 | Jun 1979 | British |
| MILLS, William Stabb | Director | 2012-08-16 | Oct 1966 | British |
| REYNOLDS, Richard Zak | Director | 2023-03-29 | Oct 1988 | British |
Show 10 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUSTIN, Toby Warwick | Secretary | 2019-07-24 | 2025-07-29 |
| COTTERILL, Susan | Secretary | 2014-01-17 | 2015-12-31 |
| EVERARD, Lucy Jane | Secretary | 2017-10-13 | 2019-07-24 |
| GILES, Simon Kenneth | Secretary | 2012-08-22 | 2014-01-17 |
| OSBORN, Matthew John | Secretary | 2016-01-01 | 2017-07-27 |
| RICHARDS, Hayleigh Claire | Secretary | 2017-07-27 | 2017-10-13 |
| GILES, Simon Kenneth | Director | 2012-08-16 | 2014-01-17 |
| HICKS, Robert Cerdic William | Director | 2012-08-16 | 2017-12-31 |
| KELSEY, Alan | Director | 2013-09-24 | 2020-12-31 |
| SCOTT, Catriona Jane | Director | 2018-07-01 | 2023-08-03 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Midco Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors, Significant influence | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 79 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-03 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-09-12 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2025-08-22 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-08-06 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2025-08-06 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2025-04-07 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2024-08-20 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-06-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-06-20 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-06-20 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-06-20 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-06-20 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-06-20 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-08-21 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-08-21 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-07-05 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-04-06 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-01-05 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2022-09-20 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-11-30 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 5
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 1
- Officers resigned
- 1
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 2024-12-31 vs 2023-12-31
-
Turnover
—
Not reported
-
Cash
—
Not reported
-
Net assets
-3.1%
-£42,693,000 -£44,003,000
-
Employees
—
Not reported
-
Operating profit
+1.4%
-£72,000 -£71,000
-
Profit before tax
-14.5%
-£1,144,000 -£1,310,000
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