Impactful Stories #2: Northern Monk Brewing Co

Next up in our series of Impactful stories is Northern Monk. We spoke to Eve & Sophie from the team to hear why they think about their social and environmental impact and how they do it. We hope these stories inspire and surprise you, showing you that impact comes in many different shapes and sizes, and businesses of all stripes are building commercially, socially and environmentally sustainable organisations. Sign up to get these in your inbox here.

Could you tell us about Northern Monk and your mission?

Northern Monk is an independent brewery based in Leeds. We are on a mission to create the best beer experiences in the world, growing in stature as we grow in scale. For us, an incredibly important element of growing in stature is ensuring that we’re always doing whatever we can to give back to our community, and our environment.

Could you share some examples of the social impact and environmental work you’ve done in recent times?

Our impact work is all channeled through the grant fund foundation that we set up in September last year — the For The North Foundation. In 2013, Northern Monk’s Founder, Russell Bisset, received a £5,000 gift from a grandparent. This is what enabled us to turn Northern Monk from a dream, into reality. We reached a stage in our growth where we were able to provide others that share our values with that same opportunity, and the Foundation was born. Through the For The North Foundation we give £5,000 grants to charities, businesses or projects that are doing something amazing for their community, or the environment.

We’ve donated almost £25,000 through the Foundation so far, some of the recipients include Meanwood Valley Urban Farm, who used their grant fund to run a new volunteer programme and purchase infrastructure to bring neglected parts of their city-based farm to life. The RISE Project at ST LUKE’S CARES used their grant to fund a new youth worker to mentor and provide activities for young people living in our local South Leeds community.

Northern Monk is based in Holbeck, one of the 0.2% most deprived areas in England, so we’re always looking for ways to support those directly around us.

We also aim to use the Foundation to actively fight against social injustices. Past grant themes have included International Women’s Day and LGBTQ+ rights and representation, and we donated a grant to two causes fighting for racial equality in support of the global racial justice movement that really gained momentum this year.

How do you ensure that your social impact work is sustainable?

The Foundation is funded in a number of different ways — either by products for sale on our online shop, where all of the proceeds are donated to the Foundation (e.g. the beer we brewed on the summit of Ben Nevis, and our Faith stickers) and products where a % of proceeds are donated to the Foundation, (e.g. our Keep The Faith packs). At our Refectory tap rooms, we sell our Refectory glassware for £5 per glass, with all proceeds donated to the Foundation. We also run specific fundraising events, for example our remote Everest climb.

What has been the impact of some of these projects and initiatives? What are you most proud of?

We’ve donated grants to 7 different organisations now, and each and every one of them has used the funding to do something incredible. It’s too difficult to pick the cause we’re proudest of, as they all do amazing work!

To focus on a project that’s been especially relevant recently, one of our grants was donated to a brilliant Bradford-based CIC, Rooted For Girls, who do some outstanding work with young women in the local area. During this year, and with the impacts of COVID-19, unfortunately they saw the need for support in cases of abuse and mental health rise exponentially. As a result, they’re using their funding to develop therapeutic outdoors sessions for teenage girls experiencing abuse and mental health struggles, as well as offering small group wellbeing sessions for women working on the frontline of the pandemic. Being able to fund vital work like this makes us all feel so proud.

Why is investing in your social and environmental impact so important to you and the team at Northern Monk?

We wouldn’t be where we are today without that initial £5,000 gift. We know the kind of impact that it can make. In the space of 7 years, we’ve gone from two people in a cellar, to 80 employees across 3 sites, so if we can give an organisation whose goal is to better our community or environment in some way, that same opportunity, it can only lead to one thing. More people, doing more good. In terms of the environment, we know that brewing isn’t regarded as the most environmentally friendly of industries, so we’re determined to do what we can to offset that!

What are your next impact goals?

Last March, we changed the structure of the Foundation to focus on set social missions each quarter. This quarter’s mission is the environment. We’ve already planted 15,000 trees, and we’ll be opening the Foundation for grant applications in the first quarter of this year.

What advice would you give to other businesses who are curious about increasing their positive impact on their people, communities and the environment?

Do it! Every business has a responsibility to protect the community and their environment with their actions. Whether it’s a big move or a small step, it’s all contributing towards a bigger, positive goal.

Where can we buy some beer and find out more about the work you’re doing?

If you head over to our website you’ll find links to our online shop, as well as more information on the For The North Foundation. To keep up to date with all things Northern Monk, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

If you’d like to uncover your impact ambitions, we’d love to help you. Reach out at hello@impactful.world. You can find out more about us on our website and we’re on Twitter too.