Our founder and CEO John Quinton-Barber reflects on our latest social impact report and the importance of taking action to make change.
We’ve recently published our third Social Impact Report – and our first since we became a certified B Corp in July last year. It’s a moment to pause and reflect on what we’ve achieved – and how much more we need to do.
B Corp is a global movement committed to putting people, planet and profit at the heart of business decisions. There are now more than 1,700 in the UK and over 6,000 across the world in an economic ecosystem worth billions of dollars.
Going through B Corp certification has transformed how we run our business, helping us take the good practices we have followed since the business was formed, and transform them into a robust, systematic approach to putting people, planet and profit at the heart of our decisions. It also means we are part of a regional, national and global community of like-minded businesses, sharing best practice and lessons learned – which is invaluable.
Taking action
From climate change to the cost of living crisis, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed as an individual and as the owner of a small business. But by taking action, we can make a small difference.
We have invested in the business, re-shaping it for the challenges ahead including improving our learning and development offering to staff, stepping up our provision of internships and work placement opportunities and focusing on measuring and reducing our environmental impact.
From my own experience, I know how important good work is to unlocking potential and opening up social mobility. Business has a critical role to play in that.
That’s why we are Members of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, committed to building a region where people have equal access to quality work that is inclusive, fairly compensated, offers security and flexibility and cultivates an environment where health and wellbeing thrives.
I was honoured to give the opening speech at its recent awards dinner, hearing about 14 inspiring businesses who are raising the bar for inclusion, employee engagement and the health and wellbeing of their staff.
And I am so proud and delighted to see the progress made by young people joining Social, from our first apprentice to young professionals at the start of their careers. They bring knowledge, creativity and ideas to the business that constantly impress both clients and colleagues. Their fresh perspectives and energy are hugely important to us.
Unleashing the potential of people of all ages remains my passion and we are looking to step up the opportunities we offer to young people from all backgrounds, particularly those that are not widely represented in our sector.
You can read our latest Social Impact Report here and feel free to share any comments with me at hello@social.co.uk.