The Wellbeing Farm, Edgworth, Lancashire has announced today its certification as a B Corporation (or B Corp), joining a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit. The Wellbeing Farm has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, as having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.
The Wellbeing Farm is one of the first hospitality businesses to achieve this important certification and the first exclusive events and wedding venue in the UK.
The B Corp certification addresses the entirety of a business’ operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. The certification process is rigorous, with applicants required to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency. To complete the certification, the company will legally embed their commitment to purpose beyond profit in their company articles.
The Wellbeing Farm is now part of a community of 4,600 businesses globally who have certified as B Corps. The B Corp community in the UK, representing a broad cross section of industries and sizes, comprises over 600 companies and include well-known brands such as The Guardian, innocent, Patagonia, The Body Shop, Abel & Cole, Ben & Jerry’s, Toast Ale, Graze, Nike, Café Direct and Danone.
Recent attention on the hospitality industry makes The Wellbeing Farm’s B Corp certification a notable step and signals a shift towards greater accountability and transparency in the sector.
Celia Gaze, Founder and Managing Director of The Wellbeing Farm says “B Corporation certification is arguably the crème de la crème of eco credentials and for a small independent farm-based hospitality venue to achieve this is amazing. I think we are the first events and wedding venue in the UK! It has been a crazy journey which started with us installing a wind turbine to power the farm. We are proud to have been recognised for our commitment and values and delighted to be part of the global movement of people using business as a force for good. We hope we now pave the way for many more hospitality businesses to get involved in this important business movement”.
Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, says “We are delighted to welcome The Wellbeing Farm to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that The Wellbeing Farm is going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward”.
“We are pleased to have B Corps of all shapes and sizes as part of our community – from start-ups to multinationals and across many different industries. Business is a powerful force and B Corps demonstrate that you can do good in any sector. Welcoming The Wellbeing Farm is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the hospitality industry. We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support The Wellbeing Farm in paving the way for a new way of doing things”.
“Being able to welcome The Wellbeing Farm to the B Corp community is hugely exciting. Their commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and really help spread the idea that we can redefine success in business to be as much about people and planet as it is about profit”.
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We’d like to add our personal congratulations to Celia Gaze and the Wellbeing Farm team. Becoming a B Corp is a huge achievement 👏
