Six years ago, we attended Brighton’s Meaning conference where we listened to ‘chocolate evangelist’ Ynzo van Zanten tell the tale of Tony’s Chocolonely and their quest to solve inequality within the chocolate supply chain.
As Ynzo skillfully shared the story of how they became a B Corp and sought to reimagine an entire industry, we asked ourselves the following questions:
- How is our business a force for good?
- How can New Leaf seek to solve social problems?
- What the heck is a B Corp?!
Fast-forward to the present, we’re celebrating our first B Corp anniversary and publishing our annual impact report having found the answers we were looking for. So, let’s tackle that last question…
What’s a B Corp?
Certified B Corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. They meet high social and environmental standards and commit to reinventing business by pursuing purpose alongside profit.
The certification process is rigorous, with applicants required to reach a score of over 80 while providing evidence of responsible practices covering five key impact areas: governance, workers, community, environment and customers.
B Corp Month: How do #WeGoBeyond?
March marks B Corp Month. It allows us to build awareness of the movement, celebrate what it means to be a B Corp, and educate diverse audiences on how they can transform our economic system for the better.
This year’s theme has encouraged us to share how ‘we go beyond’ to pursue a purposeful path and prove that there’s a better way to do business.
In celebration of our first anniversary, we figured we’d share what we’ve been able to achieve over the last year or so. How do #WeGoBeyond as a B Corp, and why should you become a B Corp too? 
Governance & Workers
During the certification process, we rethought our operations, introducing new policies to improve transparency and measure our internal and external impact more regularly.
Operating as a ‘next stage’ organisation.
We operate as a ‘next stage’ organisation, as defined by Frederic Laloux in his book Reinventing Organisations. The guiding principles of wholeness, evolutionary purpose, and organisational self-management dovetail beautifully with our long-established collaborative approach to business.
New Leaf, subsequently, exists as a uniting identity, encouraging us to celebrate our collective successes whilst honouring individual autonomy and creative freedom.
We received recognition for our efforts, winning ‘Innovation in Business’ at the Sedgemoor Excellence in Business Awards 2019 and ‘Small Business of the Year’ at the Sedgemoor Excellence in Business Awards 2022.
Customers
We’ve worked with some wonderful companies over the last year, including PenCarrie, Pizza Express, and fellow B Corp BrewDog, to deliver workplace wellbeing and Mental Health First Aid training.
Measuring our impact with regular reports.
We hold ourselves accountable through regular impact reports to ensure we’re continuing to meet the highest standards.
Our latest report showed that 91% of mental health trainees reported an overall positive workplace impact – showing an increase from our previous check-in. We’ll continue to welcome client feedback as part of our impact surveys across the coming year.
‘The course was a great eye-opener for me. It showed me that we need to listen more than advise, and have an understanding and openness to what individuals are feeling.
I would definitely recommend the course, and I’m glad that I was able to take part and become a Mental Health First Aider.’ – Neal Maple, Pizza Express
‘New Leaf Design have delivered exceptionally high-quality training to approx 100 of our BrewDog crew across the UK over the last 10 months.
It has without a doubt been one of the best experiences of external training provision we have had, we have such a great relationship, and we look forward to the next cohort being trained with New Leaf Life Design.’ – Kat Winstanley, BrewDog
Offering free Mental Health First Aid training.
Over the last year, we’ve trained 570 Mental Health First Aiders – offering 32 free spaces to agricultural workers and 15 free spaces to military personnel.
We aim to meet our target of 30 free MFHA spaces for military personnel in 2023.
Community
We’re rooted in the South West, and we invest in Somerset by buying local, working with regional suppliers, volunteering our time, and giving charitable donations. We also advocate for rural mental health needs and even hosted a parliamentary visit on that very subject.
We were awarded the Community Engagement Award at the Sedgemoor Business Excellence Awards 2021 for our efforts.
Supporting the work of Farmerados.
Farmerados is a volunteer-led organisation addressing mental health within the local farming community by hosting ‘pop-up living rooms’ at farmers’ markets and agricultural shows in the South West.
These living rooms offer a safe, supportive space for people to decompress and connect with others to reduce social isolation and improve wellbeing. We act as a friendly face, offering top-quality tea, cake and chat for those that stop by.
Based on the principles of mutual aid, visitors to the space can access relevant mental health resources, if needed, and take time to look out for one another.
Encouraging businesses to sign our SME Wellbeing Pledge.
We launched the SME Wellbeing Pledge to encourage Somerset business owners to prioritise their wellbeing after a tough few years.
Signatories pledge to: encourage conversations about wellbeing, know where to signpost for help, invest in mental health training, take steps to prioritise their wellbeing, and, lastly, organise green pause points.
We created complementary resources to support business owners:
- Mental Health Support for Business Owners: How to Survive Tough Times
- How To Look After Your Mental Wellbeing At Work
- Workplace Wellbeing: How to Talk to a Colleague About Mental Health
- 8 Green Initiatives to Boost Workplace Wellbeing
51 Somerset-based businesses have signed the pledge so far, and our goal for 2023 is to reach 100 signatures. Have you signed up?
Funding the future of beekeeping.
This year we donated £1,500, over 5% of our training income, to the Somerset Beekeepers’ Association to support a new beekeeper with their first hive.
This resulted in the creation of the New Leaf Life Design Award, which seeks to support aspiring beekeepers who either require additional assistance or might not otherwise be able to afford beekeeping equipment.
The winner receives a colony of bees in a new hive, a bee suit, a smoker and hive tool, and a year’s worth of mentoring.
Volunteering in rural communities.
We dedicated 9% of our time last year to volunteering in the local community, from offering rural mental health support to launching a pop-up pub to help create community-orientated spaces where locals can get together and connect over a drink.
We’re aiming to increase this number to 10% in 2023.
Environment
There is no planet B! We take a holistic approach to climate activism to bring about sociopolitical change through our core business activities.
The window to address catastrophic climate change is closing.
We strive to encourage fellow business owners to build economic, social and environmental sustainability and make meaningful contributions to the people, organisations and environment in and around Somerset.
Sharing helpful resources and valuable content for free.
We share a great deal of knowledge for free in pursuit of a greener way of doing business.
With shareable guides on topics such as How to Make Your Small Business More Sustainable and How to Connect With Nature to Boost Your Mental Health During Autumn and Winter, we aim to make sustainable business practices and green pause points more accessible and easy to implement.
Hosting talks on sustainable business as a B Corp.
New Leaf joined more than 60 local businesses in September for The Somerset Business Climate Summit 2022. We hosted talks on the easiest ways to cut carbon, what being net zero means, the journey to becoming a B Corp, and sustainable agriculture and manufacturing practices.
We also co-led a separate workshop on ‘Putting the B in your Business’ to introduce Somerset businesses to the first five steps towards becoming a B Corp.
Our efforts didn’t stop there, however. We’ve also taken the following steps to protect the environment:
- We bought shares in a wind farm project.
- We switched to a renewable energy provider.
- We switched to a sustainable bank and an ethical pension provider.
- We adopted the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- We gave talks to local businesses and sponsored the Sustainability/Low Carbon Award at the Sedgemoor Business Excellence Awards.
- We built a bug hotel at New Leaf HQ and shared the plans so businesses could create their own.
- We’re aiming to purchase 50% of our equipment and office essentials from local providers in 2023.
The future of New Leaf as a certified B Corp…
It has been a tough few years for Somerset businesses. We’ve seen a reduction in revenue which has reshaped our plans but not shaken our desire to bring people together and make Somerset the most mentally healthy place to work, relax and stay.
Certification has given us the framework to measure and manage our impact, holding us more accountable, inspiring clients with our sustainable credentials, and encouraging us to celebrate the part we play in the global force for good.
We remain hugely proud of our initial B Corp score. Our aim for recertification is to see a modest increase, from 109.9 to 114, as we focus on elevating two key areas – charitable giving and supporting local clients.
We want to continue to use our B Corp certification to bring about connections with people and the environment, perhaps inspiring others to take their own B Corp journey.
Our first year as a B Corp has been phenomenal, and we can’t wait to see where the next twelve months take us! Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with our sustainable shenanigans!
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Do you feel inspired to become a more purpose-driven business? Make your business a force for good and start your B Corp journey!
Are you keen to discover how New Leaf Workplace Wellbeing can help you act upon your conscious social responsibility and support your employees? Email Becky at [email protected] for more information.
This post was written in collaboration with Bee Higgins, the copywriter and content writer behind Vivatramp Creatives.
