A quirky business festival aimed at helping companies become a force for good returned to The Wellbeing Farm in Edgworth.
The Wellbeing Farm is a non-traditional wedding venue known for its bow-tie-wearing llamas and alpacas.
Recently featured on Channel 5’s Rich Wedding Poor Wedding, the unique venue has long been a popular choice for couples across the country.
Nestled in Edgworth’s picturesque countryside, it is packed with character.
As one of the first B Corp-certified hospitality venues in the country, having met rigorous social and environmental standards, the venue is rooted in giving back.
Continuing its commitment to making the world a better place, The Wellbeing Farm launched Good for Growth: B Corp Fest five years ago.
The festival-style business event brings together founders, innovators, changemakers and B Corp advocates.
The Bolton News headed to the hills to see what was in store at the unconventional conference.
We received a warm welcome from founder and managing director Celia Gaze.
She said: “There is so much that a purpose-led, sustainable business can do.
“Today, there are 80 businesspeople in this room thinking about how they can make their business a force for good, do more for the planet, more for communities and for the wellbeing of their staff.”
Celia highlighted the broad scope of sustainability, from helping charities and tackling food scarcity to reaching out to developing countries.
“There’s an amazing vibe here, as you can tell by the energy in the room,” she said.
“You don’t often have a business event with a tombola, llamas, Play Your Cards Right and homemade ice cream.”
Celia joked about the beige, clichéd conference stereotype and how The Wellbeing Farm is challenging it.
“It’s all about interacting, and we’ve been doing musical chairs to encourage everyone to connect and meet new people.”
Celia asked participants to create a paper chain of purpose, with 80 actions they could take to make their business better for the world.
“Businesses play a fundamental role in making society better, and that’s the point of today,” she said.
For Celia, discovering the B Corp movement was the “missing piece” in her business puzzle.
“You can still make a profit and grow your business, but do it in a really nice way,” she added.
One way The Wellbeing Farm puts that ethos into practice is by supporting One Woman At A Time, a charity helping girls and young women who are fleeing forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
Richard Dickson, founder and CEO of the Prestwich-based sustainability platform Play It Green, has attended the business festival for the past four years, taking on a guest speaker role for the last three.
“I love partnering with and supporting Celia,” said Richard.
Play It Green will plant trees, mangroves and sea kelp on behalf of all attendees at the festival.
For every 50p plant funded, 5p is donated by Play It Green to Celia's charity of choice, One Woman At A Time.
“A lot of the companies here want to become B Corp, and we can help.
“Things are changing, being a better business and doing things in a better way is good for your bottom line. People are starting to realise that.”
Through Play It Green, employment is sustained in Tanzania, Senegal and Kenya.
Finally, we caught up with Hannah Cox from Tameside, who is the founder of Better Business Network and betternotstop (BNS), a sustainable impact agency.
The Better Business Network is an inclusive network for purpose-driven business owners and leaders.
“We have more than 500 members who share the core belief that UK businesses can and should do better,” said Hannah.
Hannah spoke about Project Salt Run, in which she ran 100 marathons in 100 days across India last year.
Her goal is to raise £1 million for four charities that make the world a better place.
She said: “The best thing about the B Corp community is that it’s so inclusive.
“Around 50 per cent of the businesses here are B Corp, and there are also ‘B Curious’ businesses here too.
“These events aren’t just for people who’ve gone through rigorous standards but also for those who want to do better business, with signposting and guidance.”
Hannah stressed the importance of in-person events as an opportunity to meet others who can support companies on their journey to becoming more sustainable.
The Wellbeing Farm also partnered with Turton Sixth Form to inspire the next generation of purpose-led business leaders through a short film.
The film encouraged students to think about sustainability and the power of business to shape a better world.
To find out more about The Wellbeing Farm, visit thewellbeingfarm.co.uk.
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