March is officially B Corp Month – a time to recognise and celebrate companies that take their social and environmental responsibility and impact seriously. Urban Foundry was awarded B Corp Certification in 2018 and strives hard to ensure that everything we do has a positive ethical impact.
To celebrate B Corp Month, we wanted to share 10 things/projects we do that contribute to “business as a force for good”.
- Environmentally friendly office
As well as filling our workspace with living plants, we also buy ethical cleaning products, we’ve used recycled materials in our office furniture, and we reduce and recycle as much of our waste as possible
- Living Wage employer
We value our employees and every member of staff in the organisation earns not just the minimum wage but the real Living Wage
- Street markets
Set up 5 successful street markets as social enterprises with sustainability at their heart. All have a positive economic and social impact on the local area
- Green infrastructure in urban areas
Working on various initiatives to promote green infrastructure, including supporting the development of Swansea’s Green Infrastructure Strategy
- 51.6: Changemaking events
Arranging talks and workshops that focus on what can be accomplished when creativity, knowledge, enterprise and the passion and commitment of people to make a difference all come together
- Urban Foundry Academy
Supporting new and emerging students by offering internships on real (and socially conscious) projects
- Regeneration
Urban Foundry is driven by projects with a positive regenerative objective – whether it be a place, community or a business
- Unit Nineteen
Our Unit Nineteen pop-up venue was created to bring a new audience (including families) to a disused nightclub in Swansea. It hosted street food events, art workshops and live music nights. A new Unit Nineteen venue is opening very soon…
- Supporting other good causes
Director Ben Reynolds gives his time for free to sit on a number of boards and forums for other change-making organisations such as the Welsh Cooperative and Mutuals Commission and Swansea Poverty Truth Commission
- Carbon neutral footprint
As part of our commitment towards being environmentally friendly, we are working on reducing our carbon footprint – from cutting down on paper to being more energy efficient. Our energy comes from 100% renewable sources
You can find out more about B Corporations here:
You can read Urban Foundry’s B Impact Report here:
