Trading Statement

Wilmington Group Plc
09 December 2002


For Immediate Release                                          9 December 2002



                              WILMINGTON GROUP PLC

                                 TRADING UPDATE



Wilmington Group plc ('Wilmington' or the 'Group') today announces that
continued difficult trading conditions will have an adverse impact on its
performance in the financial year ending 30 June 2003.  However, corrective
action is currently being initiated by management which should redress much of
this shortfall in the year ending 30 June 2004.



Business Information



The Business Information division, which creates and sells value added
information products to business to business markets, is expected to improve on
prior year performance.  Though trading conditions are challenging, there is
positive growth in certain sectors. Binleys, which provides contact information
for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, is showing good growth and the
recent acquisitions of T.M.S.S. and Pendragon are performing above expectations.



The Solicitor's Journal, a leading subscription based weekly magazine, was
acquired in November 2002.  This is part of our strategy of concentrating on the
legal and professional markets and  complements the Waterlow and Central Law
Training businesses which have strong positions in the legal sector.  We
continue to look for further acquisitions of quality businesses to complement
our core activities.



Magazine Publishing



Business to business magazine publishing, which derives the majority of its
revenue from advertising, remains under pressure.  It is operating in a tough
economic environment where there are currently no signs of recovery.



In many of our markets the combination of tight cost control and our focus on
building market share has stabilised profitability and most titles are
performing in line with expectations.  However, the design magazine business,
which previously reported buoyant results, has experienced much tougher trading
conditions. The portfolio review is ongoing.



Previously reported cost reduction initiatives have significantly improved
operational efficiency within this division.  We are now reorganising the senior
management structure of the division to create a leaner, more focused management
team. We are confident that this will enhance the overall performance of the
division. The financial performance of this division has been below expectations
during the six months ending 31 December 2002.  However, as a result of these
initiatives, we anticipate an improvement in the six months ending 30 June 2003,
though the full impact of this action and cost reductions will not be reflected
until the year ending 30 June 2004.



Professional Training



This division remains robust with good margins albeit its overall profitability
will be lower than the comparable period ended 30 June 2002.



The continuing legal education business has been negatively affected by one-off
changes to the regulatory environment.  We have also seen a reduction in
discretionary spend on legal training due to the current economic climate.
Nevertheless, the commitment from client firms remains strong with no reduction
in subscription revenues.  This bodes well as clients are committing for the
future.



Central Law Training (Scotland) and Bond Solon are showing strong organic growth
and have launched new products which have been well received.  Across the
Professional Training division there are many significant new initiatives where
investment is currently taking place and this is to continue, reflecting the
many opportunities available.



A major area of growth in recent years has been training programmes for the
international trust company market.  We have established the leading market
position in this sector and have recently launched major new programmes related
to compliance for financial institutions and an MBA for wealth managers,
fiduciaries and trustees.  These initiatives have been successfully launched.
However, given difficult trading conditions in the financial sector, they are
unlikely to produce anticipated revenues this year.  We have continued
confidence in this market and we continue to invest in anticipation of future
revenue growth.



Outlook



We are operating in a very difficult economic environment and consequently our
results for the full year are likely to be materially below market expectations.
However, the Group continues to benefit from strong brands and continued
generation of good profit streams.  It also has a solid balance sheet and the
potential return on investment in new initiatives.



Our strategy is to focus investment (both acquisitive and organic) on our key
markets.  Reorganisation within the Group will result in approximately £800,000
of costs incurred during the current year not being repeated in the year ending
30 June 2004. Management will now be more streamlined and focused.



The Group has no bank borrowings and continues to be cash generative.  It is
anticipated that the previous annual dividend of 2.5p per share will be
maintained.



Wilmington Chief Executive, Charles Brady, said:



'We continue to work towards our strategic objectives, concentrating on our core
strengths.  Whilst business to business magazine publishing is operating in a
challenging environment, we are taking the necessary steps to ensure the future
growth and prosperity of the Group'.



For further information, please call:



Charles Brady
Chief Executive, Wilmington                                 Tel:  [phone]


Bobby Morse/Suzanne Dunne                                   Tel:  [phone]
Buchanan Communications




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            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange                 GZZM