The Wellbeing Farm certifies as a B Corporation
The Wellbeing Farm, Edgworth, Lancashire has announced 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”.
About B Lab UK
B Lab UK is transforming the economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. A leader in economic systems change, our global network creates standards, policies, and tools for business, and we certify companies—known as B Corps—who are leading the way. To date, our global community includes 4,600 B Corps in 79 countries and 153 industries, and over 150,000 companies manage their impact with the B Impact Assessment and the SDG Action Manager.
About The Wellbeing Farm: The Wellbeing Farm opened in 2013 as a fun, unique and sustainable farm-based wedding and events venue based in Edgworth, Lancashire, which embraces wellbeing by saving the organiser time, hassle and ultimately stress. The business also has a corporate events arm 'Wellbeing Corporate' specialising in delivering sustainable corporate events. The business aims to achieve the highest standards in sustainability and employee involvement. They are committed to working with the local community and employees to make the business as inclusive as possible. They carry out their purpose through delivering amazing weddings, parties and corporate events. The brand of The Wellbeing Farm is their bow tie-wearing Llamas!
The story of The Wellbeing Farm was published as a book in 2020 ‘Why Put a Bowtie on a Llama? How a crazy idea can change your life and transform your business.
There are currently over 670 B Corps in the UK and 4,600 worldwide. The Wellbeing Farm is one of the first events venues and wedding venues to become a B Corp certified business in the world.
