Estate agents and recruiters may not have the best reputation for being the most ethical or caring businesses, but they’re not all like that!

Did you know that there is a UK estate agency that is owned by a charitable trust, set-up by one of the founders of Oxfam and AgeUK, which has donated over £10m in agency profits to charities and social enterprises around the world? Introducing... Andrews Property Group.

And did you know that the largest family-run recruitment company in the world (also founded and based in the UK) is 18% owned by a charitable foundation, has planted over 70,000 trees, and has given tens of millions away to worthy causes - with match funding to further increase impact through the Big Give? Meet #PhilCo Reed!

Through our own research and involvement with the B Corp movement, we have known for some time about the rich history of purpose-driven businesses in the UK, but it was great to learn about these two new (to us!) examples — plus many more - at the inaugural Steward-Ownership Gathering, hosted by the PURPOSE Foundation & Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Set in the beautiful (and rather hot! ☀️) Camley Street Natural Park beside King’s Cross and the canal, the day was expertly facilitated by Charlotte Horder, with thoughtful planning and coordination by Adrian Hensen, Annika Schneider and team - thank you all for creating such a welcoming and thought-provoking space

It was inspiring to meet and hear from others exploring alternative business ownership models that place purpose, people, and long-term stewardship at the heart of how companies are run and grown.

This felt like a powerful first step toward building a stronger, values-led ecosystem of support for leaders and founders who want to do business differently - for the benefit of people and planet.

Excited to see where this momentum leads next!