Business as a force for good

Recertifying as B Corp

BGV is happy to announce that we have been recertified as a B Corp!Two years ago, we were one of the initial members of the UK’s B Corp community. It made sense to join the movement then, and it made sense for us to recertify this year. It is great to show that we meet the social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency required by B Corp. And it’s pleasing to be named alongside the other companies that are also certified - I’m a big fan of Patagonia and Ben & Jerrys. Saying that, there are always ways that we can improve as organisation.The certification process is no walk in the park. However, the rigour and regularity (you need to recertify every 2 years) give the accreditation far more meaning. This time around the certification process involved a few more steps than usual –BGV were selected as one of the 10 percent of organisations to do a virtual site review. This meant that, as well as completing the questionnaire required, we would have a meeting with members of the B Corp team to chat through our responses and show them our office, all via video call. A highlight was showing that our recycling was up to scratch. I received a number of bewildered looks as I chatted to my laptop while holding it over the bins.The process was worth it. We have been recertified, slightly improving our score and also being selected as one of the ‘Best for the Long Term’ (meaning that we scored highly for our governance). I must say a big thanks to Delma and Claudia from the B Corp team for guiding us through the process and discussing our answers. I would say that is the most worthwhile aspect of this - taking the time to think about how we can improve as an organisation.I would highly recommend joining the B Corp community. If you would ever like to have a chat about it, get in touch at matthew@bethnalgreenventures.com.