The Cumberland has become the first building society in the North to achieve B Corp certification.
The certification means it has been recognised for its ethical business practices, social impact and transparent reporting.
With the Carlisle-headquartered building society continuing to celebrate its 175th anniversary, the international accreditation recognises The Cumberland as a well-run organisation with strong leadership, a positive workplace culture, and a people-first approach to banking.
Achieving a verified score of 104.6 well above national and sector benchmarks, The Cumberland sits significantly above the UK company average and leads as the highest scoring building society.
B Corp represents a global movement working to benefit people and the planet.
Now in its 20th year, The Cumberland becomes part of a worldwide community including brands such as Patagonia, Innocent Drinks, giffgaff, and Tony’s Chocolonely, which is committed to continuous improvement and working to the benefit of all.
Recognising The Cumberland as a value-led business and force for good in the communities it operates in, the building society is the largest employer in Cumbria to achieve B Corp status.
As a regulated organisation, The Cumberland was highly commended in its approach to governance, and clear objectives.
At the heart of its model is reinvesting profits back into the business, its people and the communities it serves, focusing on creating long-term value and ensuring every decision made is guided by principles such as putting customers first, being responsible, and working together as one team.
The accreditation highlighted The Cumberland’s commitment to supporting its staff, being marked highly for providing living wages, compensation policies, and benefits, as well as offering structured training programmes, career development and support for health and wellbeing.
The certification adds to the organisation’s achievements of being the highest-rated building society and the 10th best large employer nationally in the Best Companies b-Heard rankings.
The B Corp status also recognised The Cumberland’s efforts to aid customers with their financial needs, driven by its Kinder Banking values.
Alongside this, its dedication to charitable giving, including support provided to FareShare Lancashire and Cumbria and FareShare Glasgow & the West of Scotland via its Kinder Kind of Kitchen initiative, and the donation of over £100k to good causes across the region via its Affinity Accounts, further demonstrated The Cumberland’s efforts in the community.
Jill Johnston, chief people & sustainability officer at The Cumberland, said: “We’re thrilled to receive this recognition.
“Becoming a B Corp is a proud moment for The Cumberland and a fantastic international endorsement of the way we run our business. It reflects our commitment to strong governance, ethical leadership and putting people first – values which have guided us for 175 years.
“Not only does it recognise our achievements, but it shows that our ambitions and roadmap for the future are on the right track. Moving forward we’ll continue to operate in a way which benefits all of those around us.”
The certification was also praised by Cumberland Building Society CEO Des Moore.
He said: “I am proud of the difference we’ve made, not just for colleagues and customers, but for the communities it is based in.
“This shows that The Cumberland is building a sustainable and values-led organisation, and its focus on people and how it operates ensures it can continue to support customers and communities for the long term.”
