WFL_MEDIA_LTD - Accounts

The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 30 June 2022.

The principal activity of the company continued to be that of online media publishing and consultancy. Company specialising in the price comparison market for nightlife in the hospitality sector. There has been no significant change to those activities during the year.

The key financial and other performance indicators during the year were as follows:

During the year, the Company generated turnover of £14,675k which compares to turnover of £5,713k in the prior year. The primary reason for the increase in turnover is due to coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic which significantly impacted the hospitality sector, and the Company provides a booking system platform which all hospitality venues required during the pandemic when hospitality venues re-opened.

Net assets at the year end were £17,024k (2021: £9,134k) and profit for the financial year was £7,890k (2021: £1,618k), which is driven by the increased turnover and careful management of costs.

Future developments

The directors recognise that the economic outlook for the coming year remains challenging due to the inflation rate changes, that includes high energy prices and other cost of living rises. Turnover for the first ten months of the new year exceeded the level of previous year.

The Company continues to invest in developing and enhancing its technology.

The Directors consider that the Company is well positioned to prosper post the inflationary periods and be more profitable in the years ahead and the directors remain optimistic that the business step to perform well in a competitive market. The Company has sufficient reserves to ensure it can operate successfully and remain going concern for the foreseeable future with the continuous support of its immediate parent company.

The directors consider that the following are the principal risk factors that could materially affect the Company’s future operating profits.

Cost of living increases

As stated above, the cost of living increases has had an effect of people's disposable income. The company is monitoring the effects of this and will adapt as necessary to meet the challenge.

Competition risk

The Company operates in a competitive environment, and as a result the quality and reliability of its products are important to its customers.

Credit risk

The directors actively monitor credit control and regular reports to management ensure risks are minimised. They have instituted procedures to ensure that appropriate credit limits are set for customers and amounts due are collected within agreed credit terms.

Product risk

The Company’s parent own the software patent and ensure that there is continuous development of products at the required standard.

Liquidity risk

The Company seeks to manage liquidity risk by ensuring sufficient liquidity, including access to funding from other group companies, is available to meet foreseeable needs. It has sufficient liquid resources to meet current and future operating needs of the business.

Other performance indicators

Compliance with relevant environmental laws and regulations relevant to its operations are closely followed.

On behalf of the board

The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2022.

The results for the year are set out on page 8.

No ordinary dividends were paid. The directors do not recommend payment of a final dividend.

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

JF Francis Ltd were appointed auditor to the company in the year and in accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006, offer themselves for re-appointment.

So far as each person who was a director at the date of approving this report is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditor is unaware. Additionally, the directors individually have taken all the necessary steps that they ought to have taken as directors in order to make themselves aware of all relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditor is aware of that information.

The directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:

•     select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

•     make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

•     prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

We have audited the financial statements of WFL Media Ltd (the 'company') for the year ended 30 June 2022 which comprise the statement of comprehensive income, the statement of financial position, the statement of changes in equity and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

•     give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 30 June 2022 and of its profit for the year then ended;

•     have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

•     have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

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 as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:

• the information given in the strategic report and the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the strategic report and the directors' report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report or the directors' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

•     adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

•     the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

•     certain disclosures of remuneration specified by law are not made; or

•     we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. We designed procedures capable of detecting non-compliance with laws and regulations and irregularities, including fraud, through:

• Obtaining an understanding of the Company and its industry through discussions with management, and the application of our cumulative audit knowledge and experience of the industry to identify laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a direct effect on the financial statements including tax, pensions, employment, health and safety, data protection and anti-bribery legislation, and we considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements. We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct impact on the preparation of the financial statements such as the Companies Act 2006.

• Identifying possible risks of material misstatement of the financial statements due to fraud. We considered, in addition to the non-rebuttable presumption of a risk of fraud arising from management override of controls, whether there was potential for management bias in the reporting of events and transactions in the financial statements relating to principal accounting estimates and uncertainties.

Our audit procedures were designed to respond to the identified risks relating to non-compliance with laws and regulations and irregularities (including fraud) that are material to the financial statements.

Our audit procedures in relation to non-compliance with laws and regulations included, but were not limited to:

• Discussing with the directors and management their policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations and reviewing correspondence with regulators and with solicitors; and

• Communicating identified laws and regulations with the audit team and remaining alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit; and

• Considering the risk of non-compliance with laws and regulations; and

• Considering whether the financial statement disclosures fairly represent the underlying transactions.

Our audit procedures in relation to irregularities and fraud included, but were not limited to:

• Making enquiries of directors and management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, and whether they had knowledge of actual, suspected or alleged fraud; and

• Gaining an understanding of the internal controls established to mitigate risks relating to fraud; and

• Discussing the risk of fraud and management bias with the audit team and remaining alert to any indications of fraud and management bias throughout the audit; and

• Addressing the risk of management override of controls by testing journal entries, considering the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions, and reviewing accounting estimates

There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of irregularities including fraud rests with management.

Because of these inherent limitations, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. This risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the company's member in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's member those matters we are required to state to the member in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's member, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

The income statement has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.

WFL Media Ltd is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Armstrong Building, Oakwood Drive, Loughborough University Science & Enterprise Park, Loughborough, LE11 3QF.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the presentational and functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

This company is a qualifying entity for the purposes of FRS 102, being a member of a group where the parent of that group prepares publicly available consolidated financial statements, including this company, which are intended to give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the group. The company has therefore taken advantage of exemptions from the following disclosure requirements:

• Section 4 ‘Statement of Financial Position’ – Reconciliation of the opening and closing number of shares;

• Section 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’ – Presentation of a statement of cash flow and related notes and disclosures;

• Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instrument Issues’ – Carrying amounts, interest income/expense and net gains/losses for each category of financial instrument; basis of determining fair values; details of collateral, loan defaults or breaches, details of hedges, hedging fair value changes recognised in profit or loss and in other comprehensive income;

• Section 26 ‘Share based Payment’ – Share-based payment expense charged to profit or loss, reconciliation of opening and closing number and weighted average exercise price of share options, how the fair value of options granted was measured, measurement and carrying amount of liabilities for cash-settled share-based payments, explanation of modifications to arrangements;

• Section 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’ – Compensation for key management personnel.

The financial statements of the company are consolidated in the financial statements of Access Technology Group Limited. These consolidated financial statements are available from its registered office, Armstrong Building, Oakwood Drive, Loughborough University Science & Enterprise Park, Loughborough, LE11 3QF.

Atruet the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Turnover is recognised at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable for services provided in the normal course of business, and is shown net of VAT and other sales related taxes. The fair value of consideration takes into account trade discounts, settlement discounts and volume rebates.

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the company's statement of financial position when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Other financial assets, including investments in equity instruments which are not subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures, are initially measured at fair value, which is normally the transaction price. Such assets are subsequently carried at fair value and the changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss, except that investments in equity instruments that are not publicly traded and whose fair values cannot be measured reliably are measured at cost less impairment.

Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through profit and loss, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.

Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.

If there is a decrease in the impairment loss arising from an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed. The reversal is such that the current carrying amount does not exceed what the carrying amount would have been, had the impairment not previously been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in profit or loss.

Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the company transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.

Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities.

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, bank loans, loans from fellow group companies and preference shares that are classified as debt, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Derivatives, including interest rate swaps and forward foreign exchange contracts, are not basic financial instruments. Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognised in profit or loss in finance costs or finance income as appropriate, unless hedge accounting is applied and the hedge is a cash flow hedge.

Debt instruments that do not meet the conditions in FRS 102 paragraph 11.9 are subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss. Debt instruments may be designated as being measured at fair value through profit or loss to eliminate or reduce an accounting mismatch or if the instruments are measured and their performance evaluated on a fair value basis in accordance with a documented risk management or investment strategy.

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

Equity instruments issued by the company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of transaction costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the company.

The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or fixed assets.

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the leases asset are consumed.

Transactions in currencies other than pounds sterling are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing at the dates of the transactions. At each reporting end date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing on the reporting end date. Gains and losses arising on translation in the period are included in profit or loss.

In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

The following judgements (apart from those involving estimates) have had the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements.

Tax benefits are not recognised unless it is probable that they will be obtained. Tax provisions are made if it is probable that a liability will arise. The Company reviews each significant tax liability or benefit to assess the appropriate accounting treatment.

The Company considers whether debtors are recoverable and makes an estimate based on the value and age of debt at the balance sheet date to determine a suitable provision. This is done by reviewing the debt profile of each customer with a material level of debt using information available at the time.

An analysis of the company's turnover is as follows:

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

Employees are contracted by the immediate parent company and salary costs are recharged to the Company accordingly.

Directors' remuneration is borne by the immediate parent company.

The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:

The amount of £5,794,204 (2021 - £7,483,556) is held by the company on behalf of its customers, acting as an agent in the transaction, in relation to bookings made and agrees to the funds held in a bank account.

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.

At the reporting end date the company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:

On 3rd October 2022 the increased investment in the Group from its shareholders, Hg and TA Associates announced on 8th June 2022 completed. From 3rd October 2022, the ultimate parent undertaking of the Company and Group changed from Aldrin Topco Limited to Asyst Topco Limited.

The company has taken advantage of exemption available under the FRS102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” to not to disclose related party transactions with wholly owned subsidiaries within the group.

Access UK Ltd is the immediate parent undertaking which is incorporated in England and Wales. Access Technology Group Limited is the parent undertaking of smallest group to consolidate these financial statements.

The ultimate parent undertaking is Aldrin Topco Limited which is also registered in England and Wales. Refer to note 7 Events after the reporting date for details on the change in controlling party subsequent to the year end date.

Aldrin Topco Limited is the parent undertaking of the largest group to consolidate these financial statements. Copies of group financial statements can be obtained from Armstrong Building, Oakwood Drive, Loughborough University Science & Enterprise Park, Loughborough, LE11 3QF.

The directors do not consider there to be an Ultimate Controlling party, control is jointly exercised by funds managed by TA Associates L.P. and Hg Capital LLP.