78 B Corp business names have appeared on a mural in the Northern Quarter of Manchester. The new mural titled ‘Forward’ has been unveiled to celebrate the collective impact and progress of B Corps in the bustling city of Manchester. In the last year alone, the B Corp community in Greater Manchester has grown by 74%, highlighting the demand for purposeful business in the region.
B Corps are businesses that balance people, the planet and profit. Inspired by B Corp Month’s 2024 theme This Way Forward, the mural supports a national Art of Progress activation which encourages businesses across the country to get creative and express the progress they’re making on their B Corp journey through art. The recent growth of the B Corp community in Manchester has put the city on the map as a hotspot for more progressive business. Examples of B Corp pioneers include Faith in Nature, who gave Nature a voice by appointing it to its board of directors, and One+All, who is 100% employee owned, meaning every employee has a say in decisions.
Historically, B Corps have had the largest presence in London. However, there has been growing interest for purposeful business in the north, with the number of B Corps in these regions on the rise. There are now 100 B Corps in the North West as a whole, 23 in the North East and 58 in Yorkshire and the Humber. Manchester is one of the cities that’s seen the most growth in the last year with 13 new B Corps. Other names in the community include LoveRaw, Brew Tea Company, Better Not Stop and Buttress Architects.
The mural celebrates the success of the Manchester B Corp community, and the 2,058 employees that are making progress to move the standard for business forward in the city.
Chris Turner, CEO at B Lab UK says:
“Manchester has a rich history of leadership and innovation in business, from the Industrial Revolution to the present day advancement in engineering, tech and the low carbon sector. We’re excited to continue building on the incredible progress of the B Corp community in Manchester, which is proving that business models centred around impact unlock high quality employment opportunities and help to meet the challenges facing our climate. This new mural in Manchester symbolises this for businesses in the city and shows what This Way Forward is all about — continuous improvement.”
The mural can be found in the popular Ancoats neighbourhood in the northern part of Manchester city centre. The design was created by Manchester based artist Oskar with a K and depicts the names of the B Corp businesses in the city. Passers-by can scan a QR code to learn more about the growing impact of the B Corp community.
Laura Ford, Sustainability Director at Faith in Nature says:
“We are delighted to be a part of the Art of Progress – this is such an exciting time for the B Corp movement and it’s brilliant to see such immense growth within the Manchester region. It’s great to be part of this movement of purpose led businesses using their organisations as a force for good.”
For more information about B Corp Month visit bcorpmonth.com.
