NORTHWARDS LTD.
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Cash
£643k
+181.8% highest in 3 filed years
Net assets
£3.5m
+27% highest in 3 filed years
Employees
163
+6.5% highest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
£1m
+948.6% highest in 3 filed years
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Industrials median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £21,240,890 | £21,873,985 | £26,929,501 | +23.1% | |
| Operating profit | -£208,796 | £294,062 | £1,203,980 | +309.4% | |
| Profit before tax | -£400,767 | £98,580 | £1,033,667 | +948.6% | |
| Net profit | -£269,177 | £48,705 | £755,098 | +1,450.4% | |
| Cash | £244,751 | £227,969 | £642,500 | +181.8% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £4,446,142 | £4,022,400 | £5,614,608 | +39.6% | |
| Net assets | £2,743,362 | £2,792,067 | £3,547,165 | +27% | |
| Equity | £2,743,362 | £2,792,067 | £3,547,165 | +27% | |
| Average employees | 145 | 153 | 163 | +6.5% | |
| Wages | £4,283,386 | £4,446,136 | £5,501,714 | +23.7% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £99,727 | £104,742 | £125,450 | +19.8% | |
| Directors' pension contributions | £13,184 | £4,602 | £5,500 | +19.5% |
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 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | -1.0% | 1.3% | 4.5% | |
| Net margin | -1.3% | 0.2% | 2.8% | |
| Return on capital employed | -4.7% | 7.3% | 21.4% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 67.3% | 66.0% | 64.7% | |
| Current ratio | 1.29x | 1.33x | 1.45x | |
| Interest cover | -1.05x | 1.44x | 6.70x |
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.
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- NORTHWARDS LTD. 2001-12-03 → present
- PORT SERVICES LIMITED 2001-11-16 → 2001-12-03
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Forrester Boyd Limited
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. 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 company's ability to continue.”
Significant events
- “Further growth is predicted in 2026, particularly through the promotion of the Company's most popular routes to and from Orkney and Shetland, its project management capability, its offering to the retail sector and its collaborative approach to delivering palletised freight throughout the UK.”
- “Northwards is now the only HQ Island based company in its trading sector and as such enjoys a strong colloquial approach from the local island community who are keen to see local business supporting the local economy. This continues to be the cornerstone of Northwards development strategy.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
5 active · 16 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LESLIE, Neil Henry | Secretary | 2003-03-06 | — | British |
| ANDERSON, Grant | Director | 2020-05-04 | Mar 1970 | British |
| GJOSTEIN, Tor | Director | 2011-01-06 | May 1963 | Norwegian |
| LESLIE, Neil Henry | Director | 2001-11-16 | Oct 1965 | British |
| SAEVILD, Ole | Director | 2011-01-06 | Sep 1966 | Norwegian |
Show 16 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| LESLIE, Neil Henry | Secretary | 2001-11-16 | 2001-12-01 |
| WATSON, Angus Millar | Secretary | 2001-12-01 | 2003-03-06 |
| OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Secretary | 2001-11-16 | 2001-11-16 |
| ANDERSON, George Brian | Director | 2001-11-16 | 2020-05-04 |
| BLADES, Martin George | Director | 2008-05-14 | 2011-01-06 |
| CAIRNS, Terence Charles | Director | 2002-01-11 | 2002-09-30 |
| LESLIE, Laurence Robert William | Director | 2001-11-16 | 2011-09-27 |
| LESLIE, Robert Laurence | Director | 2001-11-16 | 2011-09-27 |
| PRENTICE, Murray | Director | 2011-01-06 | 2019-07-16 |
| SHEWAN, Ian George | Director | 2004-12-23 | 2008-01-01 |
| WATSON, Angus Millar | Director | 2001-12-01 | 2003-03-06 |
| WHITE, John Richard | Director | 2001-11-16 | 2016-10-01 |
| WISELY, Ian Robert | Director | 2004-12-23 | 2011-01-06 |
| JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Director | 2001-11-16 | 2001-11-16 |
| SEA-CARGO ABERDEEN LIMITED | Corporate Director | 2011-01-06 | 2011-09-27 |
| SEA-CARGO AS | Corporate Director | 2011-01-06 | 2011-09-27 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea-Cargo Aberdeen Ltd | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100% | 2019-06-17 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 127 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-05 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-10-31 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-08-18 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-11-18 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-09-09 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-11-20 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-03-23 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2022-11-04 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-03-16 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2021-12-01 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-04-19 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2020-10-29 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2020-06-22 | AAMD | accounts | Accounts amended with accounts type full | |
| 2020-05-29 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2020-05-04 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2020-05-04 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2019-11-18 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2019-11-18 | PSC09 | persons-with-significant-control | Withdrawal of a person with significant control statement | |
| 2019-11-18 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2019-07-16 | 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.