New Forest Escapes in Lymington receives B Corp certification
A NEW Forest holiday lettings company has received B Corp certification after launching initiatives including bee-attracting gardens.
New Forest Escapes received the accreditation after a rigorous assessment measuring social and environmental performance standards, legal accountability and public transparency.
B Corp businesses, which include COOK, the Guardian, the Body Shop and Coutts Bank, are also required to demonstrate a strong commitment to balancing purpose and profit.
New Forest Escapes director and ‘green queen’ Rachel Parsons said: “In New Forest Escapes, we have created a company that benefits all our stakeholders. It’s a founding principle that guides us on our journey to success and change.
“We do this across all stakeholder groups, our hard-working team, our owners who share their houses, our discerning guests, and our local communities; including traditional farming communities in the New Forest.”
“We also always consider our ‘silent stakeholder’ – the fragile and unique habitat of the New Forest and its surrounds. Our business creates impacts locally, regionally and globally; we prioritise this and take it seriously.”
Explaining that it took six months to complete the B Corp assessment process, Rachel said part of the process involved New Forest Escapes aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“To be certified, every hopeful B Corp tackles a huge questionnaire, which picks at every single crumb of the business: the BCorp Impact Assessment (BIA),” said Rachel. “After the Q&A, comes B Lab, the better business experts – asking for justification and proof for every answer – the reinforcement of our commitment to ethics, people, and planet.”
As part of the certification all businesses are given a numeric score, which helps to show which areas they can improve as well as allowing for comparisons between B Corps. New Forest Escapes achieved an impressive 95.7 points!
Initiatives which New Forest Escapes have introduced include the widespread use of environmentally friendly cleaning products, using local suppliers and supporting other New Forest businesses, replacing old heating and hot water systems with green energy, promoting and planting bee and insect friendly gardens and working to maximise recycling opportunities.
Rachel said: “Our partnership with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust is a joyful part of our work with owners.
“Together our owners collectively look after over 200 acres of gardens. Private land can be managed for local biodiversity, better than much of our National Park.
“This project helps owners know what species they already host, and how they can support pollinating insects and rare species who depend on them in the food chain.”
Rachel added: “Like other businesses, we’ve got some tough goals. These will be the hardest to achieve, but the biggest opportunities for change.”
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