We are so happy to announce that Neo has received the full B Corp certification!
This journey has been no easy feat. Our team members have reimagined, revised, and revisited countless company programmes and initiatives — discussing and improving on each one — to achieve this status.
We were a Pending B Corp for over a year, and throughout the year we worked across all departments on reformulating our internal and external company policies.
In 2021 we published our first annual Impact Report and additionally published a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement on our website.
Our Inspiration
The funeral industry is rife with inequality. Funeral poverty is a real and detrimental issue in the UK, and only now is the issue starting to gain traction into mainstream media.
Funeral poverty is where the cost of a funeral is beyond the means for an individual to pay. Our service strives to improve access to funeral care by giving people a clear, transparent, affordable, and sustainable funeral option.
Our inspiration is to assist people across the UK to combat funeral poverty via an affordable and green service.
This mission sat at the core of the business for some time. As the business grew, our team grew, and our network of partners grew. Throughout the last two years we have been fiercely touched by the stories from families our Care Team has helped all over the UK.
Truly seeing the impact we immediately had on some families sparked a dual goal for the company: to be both excellent at business and excellent for the planet and society at large.
This inspired us to embark on the journey to become a Certified B Corporation.
What Exactly Is A B Corp?
The “B” in B Corp stands for Benefit.
B Corps are companies that voluntarily hold themselves accountable to a higher standard of social and environmental stewardship.
In essence, B Corporations are businesses that have pledged to do business for good. For us, this meant completely rewriting our company bylaws and stating that the mission of the company was to have a net positive material impact on people and the planet.
B Corps are reaccredited every three years. Being a Certified B Corp is a continuous journey of improvement and accountability — all in the name of social and environmental responsibility and impact.
How Does Becoming A B Corp Affect The Way We Do Business?
When companies become a Certified B Corp, they are scored in 5 key areas: customers, governance, community, and the environment.
Questions within the B Corp assessment measure the organisation’s impact business model, as well as how the organisation is advancing social and environmental transparency.
Issues such as climate change, social justice, funeral poverty, and much more are elements Neo cares deeply about and becoming a B Corp was a natural progression for us.
The Case for Becoming a B Corp
Most companies within the funeral industry aren’t optimising themselves to be better for the environment. When people come to Neo, we hope that they understand that we have committed ourselves to confronting some of the biggest issues of our time.
Because we are a Certified B Corporation, our families can always expect the following:
- Transparent and affordable prices
- A minimum carbon offset of 100%
- A Remembrance Tree planted in memory of their loved one
- Flexible payment options and at least one option with 0% interest
Neo becoming a B Corp is a way for us to show that we have dedicated the longevity of our organisation to equality, social responsibility, and environmental activism.
Neo’s Aspiration
After completing the B Corp Impact Assessment, we fell short in a couple of different areas. Over the next three years of our certification, we aspire to:
- Improve our employee engagement
- Incorporate dedicated employee volunteer team
- Hire more neurodivergent employees
- Look for additional ways to minimise our carbon footprint
We will work harder to measure and report on our impact and improve the way we serve populations with limited access to our service. Of course, we also hope to get more involved with B Corp and make new friends and connections within the B Corp community.
Interested In Learning More About Our B Corp Journey?
In learning more about our impact. We have a few resources available:
Have a read through our 2020 Impact Report. Our 2021 Impact Report is underway and will be available early in 2022.
See how involved our employees are in the community in our Press and Media page.
Read our blogs and customer testimonials to get a better understanding of who we are as a team. And of course…
Follow us on social, especially on TikTok. We are always wanting to connect and share insights with the families we help and beyond.
