It is easy to assume that social impact needs to be made by governments and larger bodies but it is possible that a small business can have social impact. We’re constantly impressed by the businesses in our sustainability-minded community and the impact they have both locally and globally.
YOU Underwear is a micro business which operates out of the covered market on Market Street in Oxford. They make a mighty impact through donating pairs of underwear to communities in Kenya and supporting Smalls For All a UK based period poverty charity. Last year they donated 7,992 pairs of underwear to Smalls For All and 1,989 pairs of underwear to the Maasai in Kenya.
U-Build is also a micro business. They empower young people to learn the craft of building through projects. For example at the Women of the World Festival (WOW) and Rotherham Children’s Capital of Culture they worked with girls aged 13-15 to build safe spaces. They built a stand at FutureBuild 2025 for the Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN). And worked with students from Waltham Forest College, who manned the stand and then helped dismantle it at the end of the exhibition. Just two of many U-Build projects that have an impact on local communities.
Will Hamilton-Davies, the author of the Shrew with the Flu has fundraised for Children’s Hospice South West, he ran draw and dance sessions at Kids Fest at Farrington Farm for the hospice and donated copies of his book to Salisbury District Hospital.
Spark & Bell – again a micro business – works with a series of local artisans to produce elements for their range of lighting products. This provides local people in Brighton with work and keeps their carbon footprint down. They have also partnered with Leave No Trace in Brighton which is a charity that collects waste from local beaches to develop recycled plastic material.
Source Climate Change Coffee changes lives for subsistence farmers in Africa and South America by buying coffee in advance for a fair price. This stabilises the farmers income and helps them feed and educate their families. In addition, Source Climate Change works with partners to educate growers on how to use agroforestry to improve their yields and improve biodiversity.
Rocworx in South Devon is currently selling jewellery made of the leather. The leather is from ballet slippers that were donated by Royal Ballet & Opera. Rocworx is using the sales to raise money for the Trussell Trust, a local food bank. Rachel is a solopreneur.
Through the Tree Art Gallery, Peter Lanyon who is woodworker and makes furniture, donated to the Project GreenHands in South India. They are replanting trees in Tamil Nadu, one of the driest regions in India. As a green wood furniture maker, trees are an important part of Peter’s work – he and his small team use coppiced wood from local landowners or that have been felled in storms.
These are just a few examples of how tiny businesses can make a big impact on their local community and, in some cases, globally. We believe that a small business can have social impact and these examples demonstrate this.
