B Local Brighton launches drive to unite Sussex’s growing B Corp community

B Local Brighton appoints two new co-chairs and calls on more Sussex businesses to get involved as tougher certification standards take effect.

B Local Brighton, the volunteer-led network connecting B Corps and other responsible businesses across Brighton and Hove and the wider Sussex region, has launched a new drive to increase participation among the county’s growing B Corp community.

B Lab UK, the not-for-profit organisation behind B Corp certification, has confirmed that approximately 90 Certified B Corporations operate across East and West Sussex – but around half of the county’s B Corps are not yet involved with the volunteer-led network, which is free to join.

B Local Brighton has also appointed Alex Hankinson, co-owner and joint managing director of Brighton PR agency Midnight, and Greta Leipute, who leads client experience at sustainable tour operator Pura Aventura, as new co-chairs.

They join existing co-chairs Demi Heath, founder of Hearth Sustainability and co-founder of Sussex Impact Pathway, and Ariela Schnitman, senior event sustainability consultant at Worlds Better, expanding the volunteer leadership team from two to four.

One of 18 B Local groups across the UK, B Local Brighton helps local businesses share knowledge, build relationships and take collective action. Its programme includes workshops and practical support around B Lab’s new standards, including an upcoming live gap-analysis session where businesses can assess their position and work through the requirements alongside other local companies.

The appointments come as businesses begin transitioning to B Lab’s new more rigorous global standards. Published in April 2026, the framework introduces mandatory, independently verified performance requirements across seven impact areas. The first companies achieved certification under the new standards in June 2026.

Certified B Corporations, known as B Corps, are businesses independently certified by B Lab for meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. They also make a legal commitment to consider the interests of their people, their customers, communities and the environment.

Sussex’s B Corp community includes larger employers as well as independent businesses such as Brighton lighting company Spark & Bell and restaurant group Redroaster.

B Local Brighton is open to businesses working towards certification, responsible companies considering whether B Corp is right for them, and organisations interested in connecting with like-minded businesses.

Demi Heath, co-chair of B Local Brighton, said: “The new standards are a significant shift. Being part of a local group means they can work through the changes with people facing similar challenges. Expanding the leadership team gives us greater capacity to reach more of Sussex’s responsible businesses and create opportunities for them to learn from one another.”

B Local Brighton was established less than two years ago and is one of the newer B Local groups in the UK.

Alex Hankinson said: “Brighton and Sussex have a thriving, vibrant B Corp community, with so many brilliant businesses committed to doing things differently. We would love to bring more of them together and make that community even stronger.

“None of us has all the answers, particularly as businesses begin working through the new standards. B Local Brighton is a friendly, supportive place to share what we’ve learned, ask questions, drive collective action and help one another make progress.

“Whether you are already certified, working towards B Corp for the first time, or simply interested in connecting with purpose-led businesses, it is free to join and you are very welcome to get involved.”

B Lab’s own data suggests that putting people and the planet at the heart of business is good for business too. Its tenth-anniversary Take 10 Impact Report found that small and medium-sized UK B Corps achieved 20 per cent turnover growth between 2024 and 2025, compared with 3 per cent across UK SMEs overall. Their employee headcount grew by 11 per cent, compared with 2 per cent among UK SMEs.

Businesses interested in getting involved should visit: https://gsforms.net/GSN-497695-C/e16785d7-5edf-4477-ba25-c81df8f673f7. 

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Editors notes

About B Local Brighton

B Local Brighton is a volunteer-led, place-based community founded in partnership with B Lab UK.

It brings together Certified B Corporations, businesses working towards certification and responsible companies considering B Corp. Its purpose is to create connections, increase the positive impact of the local business community and raise awareness of the B Corp movement.

About B Lab

B Lab is the non-profit network behind B Corp Certification. It develops standards to assess businesses’ social, environmental and governance performance and works to build a more inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy. The UK is currently home to more than 2,800 B Corps.

About Midnight

Established in 1995, the award-winning Midnight Communications is one of the leading independent PR consultancies south of London, based in one of the UK’s most dynamic and pioneering cities - Brighton. Midnight is a B Corp certified business to business PR and content agency that regularly receives accolades for its successful PR and social media campaigns.