Since getting certified last March, we’ve made some significant changes in how we operate and do business. B Corp in itself has come a long way since the first 82 B Corps were certified in 2007. Year on year, an increasing number of companies globally have signed up to the movement. Today, there are currently over 6000 certified B Corps in more than 80 countries.
In the past year, joining us on the B Corp journey are the likes of dewerstone, POINT3 Wellbeing, ADLIB Recruitment, and Purplefish Agency. But achieving the very highest standard of social and environmental performance doesn’t stop once you become a B Corp. To maintain certification, a B Corp must update their B Impact Assessment and verify their score every three years. In this blog, we’ll highlight our key achievements and progress, and outline our goals for recertification.
We’ve always been environmentally conscious (founder Jo Haywood used to make climate change documentaries in the 1990s!), so this has meant putting processes into place such as recycling props, hiring kit or catering vegan/veggie on shoots. But being B Corp also means a journey of continuous improvement. It’s holistic, not exclusively focused on a single social or environmental issue. Our journey to becoming a B Corp has meant significant and sustainable changes to the business – hear it from our team.
What is it like working for a B Corp?
“It’s not just about having a seat at the table—your voice is valued here too.” — Nina Postans, Head of Marketing.
“Working in a B Corp company has been eye-opening. It has made me more aware of my professional and personal impact.” — Nyles Hollister, Video Content Producer.
“I believe Skylark’s vision and the B Corp network uniquely combine creativity with social and environmental action, creating a real positive impact in the world.” — Elsa Esteban, Video Content Creator.
What’s the positive environmental outcome from the work you produce?
‘We have helped organisations and companies raise awareness and secure funding for their solutions to global warming, greener approach and other issues, by using the videos we’ve created.’ – Iiris Maki, Animator and Editor.
Has it changed the type of projects you work on and how you interact with clients?
“Becoming B Corp means we now have a strong reason to turn down clients whose messages or practices we don’t agree with. We only work with clients who share our goals.” — Sam Maxwell, Animator.
“We were already focused on social and environmental change, but B Corp has opened more doors for collaboration. It gives other B Corps confidence that our values align. When meeting new clients, there’s already a sense of being on the same page.” — James Sampson, Director.
Skylark is committed to bettering our working practices. What changes have we achieved so far?
- Sustainable productions
We have been working on positive changes at Skylark for some time. Our environmental practices include car sharing, cycling or walking to work, working remotely, catering vegan or vegetarian on shoots, using reusable cups, minimizing plastic waste, and running on renewable energy. We re-certify our Ad Green accreditation annually to further improve our practices. If you’re in advertising production, I recommend these free sessions to help lower your carbon footprint.
Tech materials are costly to the environment (we even made a video about it!), so we often rent equipment rather than purchasing new. We support local businesses and foster a friendly community by shopping locally and avoiding Amazon where possible.
- Supporting mental health
We are aware of the importance of our staff’s mental health and wellbeing, and have since appointed an internal Mental Health Champion for support and guidance. Improving our work/life balance is a priority. There’s Wellbeing Wednesdays at our co-sharing office every month too so we encourage the team to attend.
- Accountability as individuals
Nina gives an insight into the changes in her work life since becoming a B Corp, ‘I am consciously reassessing the services and products I use – are they B Corp? Are they ethical or sustainable? Are they a local business? When we certified as B Corp, we all took a Giki Zero test to calculate our carbon footprint. A Giki Zero planner was then created to help us improve on our score.’
- Community and the environment
We continue to build our own forest garden to increase the tree cover and the biodiversity in fields along south Bristol. Here’s our CEO Jo Haywood planting trees in the Skylark forest garden. This year we’ll be putting on the wellies and planting trees for Avon Needs Trees on a volunteering day. As a commitment to communities beyond Bristol, we’ve now switched our search engines to Ecosia for planting trees and have raised funds for communities in Nepal and India to have access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (Frank Water).
- Increased staff training
Our interns receive training and support to maximize their time at Skylark. We pride ourselves on our entrepreneurial spirit and upskill the team in various disciplines. We offer cross-skills training for career development.
The team completed Screen Skills training courses, covering DE&I, mental health, wellbeing, and key roles in the creative industry.
- Working with Like-Minded Businesses
We choose to work with businesses and suppliers that have a minimal environmental impact or are transitioning to sustainable practices. We often vote on potential clients! In the past year, we’ve reviewed all our policies and supported other businesses in the creative industry on their journey to B Corp.
- Employing locally
All our staff at Skylark live in Bristol and the surrounding areas – while our freelancers work remotely with limited travel to the office. We also run a graduate intern scheme to take on creative students from UWE Bristol with the view to offering them a full-time role.
- Volunteering days
We took part in the ‘Stand Up For Safe Water’ event by Frank Water this summer, raising funds for the charity and helping to raise awareness of its projects. All the funds raised from this event will help bring safe and clean water to most marginalized communities across India and Nepal.
At last year’s volunteering day, we headed to Aid Box Community Centre (ABC), a Bristol-based humanitarian organisation set up by group of ordinary people in response to the continuing refugee crisis. We now have a planned tree volunteering day coming up!
- Introducing our self-funded environmental series
Skylark Originals is an opportunity for the team to talk about the issues we consider important and get them out into the world for people to see – and hopefully act on. Some of our topics that we have worked on include: ‘Is our digital addiction destroying our planet?’ and ‘The environmental impact of pets’.
Other amazing B Corps out there that are also making a positive change:
ADLIB
ADLIB is a recruitment agency with purpose. Since becoming B Corp, ADLIB has transformed into 100% employee-owned business. ‘Gifting share options for all employees with a clear route to realisation created a trust board and employee council with direct input to ensure the business values are upheld at all times.’
Nick Dean, CEO of ADLIB, shares they have turned MotherBoard, into an impact-based business model. It supports employers in understanding female reproductive health in the workplace, from menstruation to menopause. Through paid consultancy and insight, they sponsor the training of female refugees in the tech industry. They also provide career-long support for their employers.
Nick offers advice for other businesses on their way to B Corp. He suggests being accountable, publishing an annual impact report, and committing to achieving set advancements.
POINT3 Wellbeing
Newly certified B Corp POINT3 Wellbeing is an employee wellbeing company. They empower people to think, feel, and behave to their fullest potential. Co-Founder, Siôn Stansfield shares with us some of the key changes they have made since becoming certified:
- We’ve reviewed our policies, processes and benefits to support, empower and develop our team and our partners.
- We’ve pledged to provide 8 free of charge Mental Health First Aid places to not-for-profit organisations and charities.
- We’ve committed to 3 days of time per person per annum volunteering to support the local communities near where our founders live.
- We’ve chosen to work with ethical suppliers – and where possible those that are B Corp certified.
- We’re committed to supporting the next generation of underserved workers by providing training and development opportunities to support their wellbeing and mental health and ensure they are as equipped as possible to thrive in the workplace.
Advice from POINT3 Wellbeing to others: ‘Be curious – what are your blind spots when it comes to being a better business for your people and planet. Don’t be afraid of small steps – Commit to constantly making small and sustainable changes – over time these add up to a big positive impact. Listen to your people and partners – and be inspired by their ideas for supporting your community. And ask yourself – What’s the impact of this decision? Am I making it for the right reasons? Whilst profit keeps businesses afloat, we need to hold ourselves accountable to our purpose and the planet.’
dewerstone
dewerstone is an outdoor clothing and accessories brand that has been certified B Corp since Jan 2021. They are also members of 1% for the Planet. Founder Rory Atton said, ‘Certifying as a B Corp gave us a home among businesses the world over that see things as we do.’
‘Becoming part of the B Corp community creates opportunities for collaboration, it creates avenues for learning, and opens us up to inspirational people and businesses that are leading their industries. The last year has been about embracing that.’
Purplefish Agency
Purplefish Agency is a creative communications agency with purpose, delivering pervasive communications that drives your business and evolves with you. Account manager Mallika Jhaveri gives us an insight to the changes in their company since becoming B Corp certified:
“Since becoming a B Corp, we’ve embraced continuous improvement in our social and environmental impact. We hold monthly team lunches to review our progress against B Corp goals. Using the B Corp framework, we inform business decisions and focus our community activities.”
“Everyone at Purplefish has a role to play. We have three teams dedicated to social and community, sustainability and environment, and diversity and inclusion. Each meeting, we plan the month ahead and review past successes and challenges. We discuss goals, opportunities, community activities, and organizational changes.”
Successes in Purplefish Agency’s First Year:
- Supported Babbasa and the Our City Office to launch OurCity2030, a city-wide initiative to close the ethnic inequality gap in Bristol.
- Partnered with Leukaemia Care to provide PR support for Unicornfest, a public arts trail of unicorn sculptures by Bristol artists, launching this July.
- Provided brand and profile-raising advice to musicians, A&Rs, and managers at Born2Be Records, which supports artists creating music of Black origin.
Advice from Purplefish Agency:
“B Corp principles are a great starting point for running a more sustainable business, even if full certification isn’t yet your goal. The Business Impact Report offers a free and valuable framework for businesses aiming to become more sustainable, transparent, and inclusive.”
Pursuing the path to certification is long, but definitely worth it!
Becoming a B Corp opens up new business opportunities. Many clients prefer working with B Corps. Most importantly, becoming a B Corp allows your company to network, engage, and collaborate with a growing community. This ensures a great influx of sustainable and inclusive business relations.
Our commitment, what are we going to do next at Skylark Media?
This is a journey of continuous improvement! B Corp is holistic and not focused on a single issue. There’s still a lot for us to learn.This month, we attended Bristol & Bath B Local’s inaugural Purposefest. We learned about doughnut economics and corporate activism from Verel Rodrigues, Maria Wood, and Erinch Sahan.One of the next steps is to explore a transition into employee ownership. This will help us challenge traditional business practices and improve employee engagement. It will also enhance our long-term impact on communities.
Becky Lomas