We officially became a certified B Corporation (or B Corp) in September 2023, joining a growing group of over 1,500 companies in the UK that pursue purpose as well as profit. Luxury Cottages has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.
B Lab was founded in the United States in 2006 by three friends. The first 82 B Corps were certified in 2007 and there are now more than 7,000 worldwide.
B Corps are like-minded businesses which have a focus on improving the Environment, Society and Governance through business. Every three years the companies must undergo a recertification process against a clear set of standards.
All B Corps must also sign a declaration in their company documents that prioritises the company as well as its members, society and the environment as a whole.
The B Corp movement is focused on purpose over profit and is one of the largest global non-profits focused on people, communities and the planet.
Since the company was founded in 2019, we have focused on highlighting the sustainability of our properties and providing a positive impact on the environment.
We’re on a mission to provide guests with the best possible experience when holidaying in the UK whilst being mindful of our impact on local communities and the environment.
With that in mind, we decided to join the B Corp community so that we could share in best practice and continually improve our business processes.
As a modern and progressive company, we’re striving to do the best for all our stakeholders and that includes our suppliers and employees as well as our shareholders.
Luxury Cottages is now part of a community of 7,000 businesses globally that have been certified as B Corps.
Our B Corp journey started in 2022 and we have worked hard to achieve our verified score of 85.0 which we intend to improve on through a continuous commitment to building a better business.
The B Corp certification requires an in-depth review of the business’ operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. Our score is particularly reflective of our commitment to ESG and better governance.
The B Corp community in the UK represents a broad cross-section of industries and sizes, comprises over 1,500 companies and includes well-known brands such as Mindful Chef, The Body Shop and Abel & Cole.
At Luxury Cottages we provide a range of initiatives to ensure our employees are incentivised for their contribution to the business.
Employee well-being is paramount to us, so we are pleased to offer a private healthcare scheme through Bupa, along with our long-standing health and wellness policy, and flexible working hours to show our commitment to maintaining a happy and healthy team.
As a business, we’re passionate about supporting charities and using our time as a force for good, therefore, we offer two volunteering days per year at a charity of choice, which we are now making a commitment to measure as a KPI. We also show our support through charitable donations, whereby guests are offered the opportunity to donate to the National Animal Welfare Trust when booking with us.
Our aim is to preserve the planet and invest in the people and communities that support a better legacy for our industry.
Recent media attention on the holiday letting industry makes Luxury Cottages’ B Corp certification a notable step and signals a shift towards greater accountability and transparency in the sector.
The team at Luxury Cottages believes in building a better industry by committing to higher standards in letting and property management and more sustainable holidays.
Other travel industry B Corps include Sykes Holiday Cottages, Forest Holidays, Sawday’s and New Forest Escapes.
We believe being part of this community will help build a better sector and provide a positive impact on the environment and local communities.
We have created our first sustainable practice guide in conjunction with our friends at Bower Collective to help promote best practices in our industry and reduce the carbon footprint of our portfolio. However, it’s not just for our owners and we encourage all holiday property owners to incorporate sustainable practices in their holiday letting business.
We’re providing the guide as a free resource for anyone looking to improve the carbon footprint of their holiday home and promote more sustainable travel.
If you have any questions about any of our cottages or if you’d like some help with your booking, you are very welcome to get in touch with us.
We are always happy to help and go out of our way to tailor your perfect UK holiday.
