THE MESSAGE TRUST
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Cash
£1.1M
+8.3% highest in 3 filed years
Net assets
£8.6M
+18.8% highest in 3 filed years
Employees
168
-9.2% lowest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
-£55K
+82.5% vs 2024
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-08-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-08-31 | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £2,898,898 | £2,671,734 | £2,779,064 | +4% | |
| Operating profit | — | -£315,760 | -£55,301 | +82.5% | |
| Profit before tax | £193,505 | -£315,760 | -£55,301 | +82.5% | |
| Net profit | £202,471 | -£315,760 | -£55,301 | +82.5% | |
| Cash | £412,314 | £1,023,498 | £1,108,153 | +8.3% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £7,397,092 | £7,483,797 | £8,676,181 | +15.9% | |
| Net assets | £7,397,092 | £7,274,351 | £8,640,063 | +18.8% | |
| Equity | £7,397,092 | £7,274,351 | £8,640,063 | +18.8% | |
| Average employees | 181 | 185 | 168 | -9.2% | |
| Wages | £4,175,814 | £4,095,126 | £4,152,180 | +1.4% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £380,202 | £374,570 | £436,473 | +16.5% |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-08-31 | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | — | -11.8% | -2.0% | |
| Net margin | 7.0% | -11.8% | -2.0% | |
| Return on capital employed | — | -4.2% | -0.6% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | — | 10.4% | 10.2% | |
| Current ratio | 3.03x | 3.97x | 3.07x | |
| Interest cover | — | -47.00x | -11.81x |
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
- Menzies LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Group's or the parent charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.”
Group structure
- THE MESSAGE TRUST · parent
- The Message Trading Company Limited 100%
- The Message Enterprise Centre 100%
- Eden Network Merseyside
Significant events
- “This year we've continued to roll out our ambitions 2024-2027 vision, opening new Community Groceries, launching a new schools tour, starting new Eden teams, and seeing Advance groups grow around the globe, plus much more.”
- “2024/25 saw the Community Grocery network grow with stores opening in Harpurhey, South Bank and Darlington.”
- “2024/25 also saw us launch an affordable clothing store - Message Community Clothing - within the venue for Community Grocery members and the local community.”
- “In July and August, 130 young people joined forces for weeks of mission in London, Sunderland and Cardiff called The Scattering.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
7 active · 15 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROWBOTTOM, Ian | Secretary | 2011-08-24 | — | — |
| BRUCE, Fiona Claire | Director | 2025-12-03 | Mar 1957 | British |
| HAYNES, Gordon Joseph | Director | 2017-03-15 | Jun 1946 | British |
| LEAKEY, Andrew Christopher | Director | 2017-03-15 | Oct 1972 | British |
| NEILSON, Laura, Dr | Director | 2023-12-14 | Oct 1981 | British |
| ORR-EWING, Amy Louise, Dr | Director | 2022-03-25 | Dec 1975 | British,Australian |
| WHITE, Robert David | Director | 2000-03-30 | Oct 1944 | British |
Show 15 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| GREEN, Frank Nicholas | Secretary | 2008-01-25 | 2011-08-24 |
| JOHNSON, Robert Firth | Secretary | 2000-03-30 | 2002-05-02 |
| KAVANAGH, Martin John | Secretary | 2006-04-01 | 2007-06-12 |
| MORTON, Alan Nicol Thomson | Secretary | 2003-01-23 | 2006-03-31 |
| WARD, Samuel John | Secretary | 2002-05-02 | 2003-01-23 |
| BREEN, Michael James, Reverend | Director | 2003-01-23 | 2004-05-13 |
| GREEN, Frank Nicholas | Director | 2000-03-30 | 2007-07-10 |
| HARDICRE, Colin | Director | 2007-04-19 | 2021-09-30 |
| JOHNSON, Richard Thomas | Director | 2000-03-30 | 2013-02-06 |
| MAGUIRE, Frederick Sydney | Director | 2004-05-13 | 2006-03-31 |
| MOORE, David Ian | Director | 2015-03-29 | 2021-09-30 |
| MORTON, Alan Nicol Thomson | Director | 2000-03-30 | 2017-03-15 |
| NADIN, Paul John | Director | 2008-11-10 | 2019-08-09 |
| WAIN, Neil | Director | 2013-10-04 | 2015-08-11 |
| WAINWRIGHT, Jonathan Anthony | Director | 2013-09-01 | 2023-03-20 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 100 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2026-04-09 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-12-16 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-06-04 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2025-03-28 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-06-10 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2024-04-03 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-12-21 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-09-28 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2023-03-30 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-03-27 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2022-09-06 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2022-06-06 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2022-04-04 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-10-13 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2021-10-13 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2021-09-08 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2021-03-31 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2020-08-20 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2020-03-30 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 3
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 1
- 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.