We’re delighted to announce that New Leaf Life Design, our Somerset-based workplace wellbeing company, has become a certified B Corp, having met the highest social and environmental standards for our commitment to goals outside of profit.
We’re one of just 600 organisations in the UK that have achieved B Corp certification.
We’re also the only mental health training company in the UK to have achieved this prestigious status, and we couldn’t be more proud!
We join a growing global community of mindful companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose, as well as profit, alongside well-known brands such as Tony’s Chocolonely, Innocent Drinks and Patagonia, to name but a few.
Here’s what our Director, Becky Wright, had to say about the news:
“It has taken two years to achieve this accreditation and made us rethink much of our operation, but we did it! My thanks to Melanie Huggins for guiding us through this journey.
To pass, we had to achieve a score of 80 or more. Our final verification score was 109.9, so we couldn’t be more delighted. It’s an exciting new chapter for New Leaf.”
What is B Corp certification?
B Corp companies have to meet high standards of social and environmental performance. They also have to be transparent and accountable on important issues, from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.
The certification process is rigorous, with applicants required to reach a 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.
We were also required to legally embed our commitment to purpose, beyond profit, into our company articles to complete certification.
The B Corp certification covers five key impact areas:
Governance
Our overall mission, ethics, accountability, transparency and how we build our vision and values into our bylaws.
Workers
Our efforts to create a positive impact on the wider New Leaf team.
Community
How we contribute to the economic and social wellbeing of the community in which we operate.
Environment
How we work towards a more sustainable and regenerative planet by reducing our footprint and putting our impact on the air, climate, water, land, and biodiversity first in our business practices.
Customers
How we serve our customers, offering mental health services that support the greater good.
Who are B Lab?
B Lab are the non-profit behind the B Corp movement, whose mission is to transform the economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.
Their global network creates standards, policies, and tools for business, and they certify companies who are leading the way. The community includes 4,400 B Corps in 77 countries and 153 industries working together as one movement. Over 150,000 companies are currently managing their impact with the B Impact Assessment and the SDG Action Manager.
Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, had this to say, “We are delighted to welcome New Leaf Life Design 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 New Leaf Life Design will be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward. Their commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and help spread the idea that we can redefine success in business to be as much about people and planet as it is about profit.”
What are New Leaf committing to as a B Corp?
The B Corp certification acknowledges our ongoing commitment to making a positive impact, whether we’re working in our local community, engaging with our customers, or caring for our planet.
It also marks the significant journey we’ve been on for the last two years and signals an exciting new chapter for New Leaf, offering us opportunities to work with B Corp companies and create even more meaningful change.
We’re offering a 10% discount towards our workplace wellbeing and mental health first aid training to fellow B Corp companies. Three well-known UK B Corp companies have already benefited from our work – The Body Shop, BrewDog and Riverford Organic Farmers – and we look forward to nurturing even more partnerships in the future.
The process has been hugely valuable and has encouraged us to continue to build on the important work we have already done.
We’re thrilled to be part of a growing global network of like-minded companies redefining what it means to be a successful business.
Here’s to an exciting future ahead!
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Do you feel inspired to become a more purpose-driven business?
Check out our blog posts on reimagining the nature of business with regenerative leadership and how to make your small business more sustainable for inspiration.
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.