Gloucestershire foundation achieves coveted B Corp status

A thriving family firm from Cheltenham has joined the small number of Gloucestershire businesses to achieve the sought-after B Corp status, marking it out for its determination to make the world a better place.

Commercial, the £60 million-plus turnover business services group, has achieved the prestigious, internationally-recognised certification for its Commercial Foundation, which supports young adults who have experienced barriers to work or education.

Since it opened its doors on Cheltenham's Rockfield Business Park in 2015, the foundation has helped more than 130 16 to 24-year-olds gain skills, experience and self-confidence through its #NoLimits employability programme, which offers work experience at its WE DO Print studio – with 95 per cent of the foundation’s volunteers graduating into work, further training or education in 2022.

Adam Miller, director of the foundation said: ‘It really is an honour to be awarded B Corp status. It is a wonderful reflection of the work our team does.

‘Thank you to the wonderful partners who support us in all we do, our small and dedicated team and, of course, our wonderful volunteers who amaze us all every day with their talent.’

To win B Corp status, organisations must meet rigorous social and environmental standards and commit to goals outside of profits to shareholders. Only an estimated 1,000 UK companies have achieved the benchmark to date – with just over 6,000 B Corp-certified companies worldwide.

Certification is evaluated by the not-for-profit organisation B Lab, which considered five key areas of Commercial Foundation's operations – governance, workers, community, environment and customers – before making its decision.

Companies hoping to achieve B Corp status must also supply evidence of reasonable practices relating to energy suppliers; waste and water use; worker compensation; diversity; and corporate responsibility.