We are so excited to share with you that WonderWorks is now a certified B Corporation and part of a global movement working to benefit people and the planet.
This certification is a huge milestone for us, and it means the world to be recognised in this way. But more importantly, it reflects something that has always mattered: building a nursery that genuinely cares about people, and looks after the world our little ones are growing up in.
“This has been such a rewarding experience, and I can’t thank the team enough (special shout out to Bonnie). The B Corp application has taken a huge amount of work, but the bigger effort has been the years spent building WonderWorks into the kind of business that genuinely lives by these values every day.” — Sam Chow, Head of Business at WonderWorks
“Our journey to certification has been so much more than an achievement. It has been an opportunity to truly understand our company values, reflect on how we work, and strengthen the services we provide.” — Jane Cowell, Head of Childcare at WonderWorks
What is a B Corp?
B Corp is a global community of companies committed to using business as a force for good.
To become a certified B (Benefit) Corporation, you have to go through a rigorous independent assessment to show that your business meets high standards in the ways you support workers, customers, communities and the environment. It’s designed to measure what a business actually does (not just what it says it does).
There are now over 2,700 B Corps in the UK, including JoJo Maman Bébé, Innocent Drinks, The Body Shop, Ella’s Kitchen, and now us!
WonderWorks is a nursery that balances people, profit and planet
B Corp assessed every part of how we run WonderWorks—from how we treat our team, to the impact we have on the environment. You can find our B Corp score on the official directory, but here’s a quick overview…
We look after our team ✔️
It’s a no brainer. If we want children to feel happy and supported, we have to support the adults who are caring for them. This is a huge focus for us.
To measure how a business looks after their team, B Corp assesses things like financial security, wellbeing, safety and development opportunities.
Here’s what that looks like at WonderWorks:
We pay all team members the real Living Wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. Not the government minimum, but the rate that reflects what it actually costs to live.
We provide on-site childcare support and offer free meals for staff during the working day.
Over 75% of our team have taken part in external professional development, to progress their ongoing learning goals.
We engage with our community ✔️
The B Corp assessment looks at how businesses engage with the communities around them, and how they contribute beyond their own walls.
Here’s what that looks like at WonderWorks:
We partner with wonderful local charities like Sunny Side Rural Trust, a social enterprise that gives work experience to adults and young people with learning disabilities.
We involve our team in deciding which charities we donate to, as a business.
We involve our community of film families at every opportunity we get.
We care for our planet ✔️
We were assessed on how we impact the environment across air, water, land and biodiversity. And although we’re a small business, and our environmental impact doesn’t come close to that of giant conglomerates, the little things still add up. And so, we try to have more sustainable swaps wherever we can.
Here’s what that looks like at WonderWorks:
We recycle paper, plastic, glass, metal and food where we can.
100% of the energy we use comes from renewable sources.
We have water-saving systems in place, including low-flow taps and a compost loo in our Forest.
We also harvest rainwater to water our plants and for the children to play with.
The nursery’s intentionally close to public transport links and within walking distance for a lot of our families.
Our mission has real impact ✔️
According to B Corp, a company with an ‘Impact Business Model’ is intentionally designed to create a specific positive outcome for one of its stakeholders, such as workers, community, environment, or customers. For us, it is, and always has been, about Keeping Families in Film.
Here’s what that looks like at WonderWorks:
Flexible and affordable childcare, close to the workplace, designed for the realities of screen industry working hours.
Full-time, ad-hoc and short notice places.
We’re conducting research into how families can be better supported in work
We’re creating a new infant feeding policy guide for the film and TV industry, alongside the experts at BoobingIt, The Nourish Consultancy and Lola & Lykke.
As much as it’s an honour to be awarded our B Corp certification, the most rewarding part has actually been the process of getting here. It forces you to slow down and really notice what you’re doing as a business. Over the past 18 months, we’ve been recording and reflecting on how we show up for our people and the planet, and it has made us extremely proud of how WonderWorks runs.
“Becoming a B Corp feels like a commitment to keep holding ourselves to a higher standard as we grow. It’s given us a really helpful framework to keep checking in with ourselves, and making sure the way we work still reflects the values we’ve built into WonderWorks from day one.” — Charlotte Riley, Director & Co-Founder of WonderWorks