On 3 August 1998, Tom Moreton set up Fat Beehive to provide websites for charities and organisations committed to social good. Fat Beehive’s first client was Cafe Direct, and in 1997 both fair trade coffee and having a website were pretty revolutionary. Both are mainstream today, but the values underpinning Fat Beehive from day one have been consistent.
Over the last 25 years, Fat Beehive has helped over 500 charities, from Action Against Hunger to the Young Women’s Trust, from small charities like Brompton Fountain and Children of Andes to household names such as Greenpeace, Tommy’s and Centrepoint.
Tom is still here, but the organisation has grown to almost 40 staff. The principles that inspired Tom to set up Fat Beehive – amplifying the excellent work of charities and providing meaningful work for the team remain. However, over the last five years, we have extended our mission to make Fat Beehive not just a Best Place to Work but a certified BCorps.
BCorps must meet the highest social and environmental performance standards, transparency, and accountability and are legally required to ensure that their business and operations have a material positive impact on society and the environment, Our score puts us in the top 10% of all BCorps globally (top 5%, Best for the World, for workers). Charities are expected to operate at higher ethical standards, including their supply chains – so working with a certified BCorps, you know that every part of their operations has been assessed and verified – far more extensively than your own due diligence process could offer.
In 2020 we set up the Fat Beehive Foundation, just as covid hit, to provide funding to small charities to improve their digital presence and are proud that our first grant went to Spark Inside, which supports prisoners who, during covid were locked up for 23 hours a day with no visitors.
We also employ ex-offenders through our partnership with Code4000, which teaches prisoners how to code – we have taken on more of their graduates than any other UK employer, despite being the smallest organisation involved.
Further, we have been champions for increasing diversity in the tech sector and proactively trying to get more women and Black people into tech, organising a very successful Black in Tech event in September 2022. I am proud that 25% of our staff are Black, compared to the 3% industry average. We are now setting up the Fat Beehive Academy to train and support Black Londoners to get tech jobs.
Our values also mean that we always ensure our clients get the best from their websites. We have invested in our client support team and Strategy, UX, and Research departments. Websites no longer need to look good but to be optimised to ensure charities get the best return on their investment. We are building long-term relationships with our clients to ensure their websites meet their goals.
Twenty-five years ago, there was no Facebook or X, Amazon was merely a humble online bookstore, and Yahoo dominated the online world. A lot has happened, and many things have changed – but Fat Beehive has continued to grow and improve because it was founded on good values, values that have guided us not just when it is easy or convenient but during difficult times as well.
When the average age of all companies in the UK is 8.5 years, 25 years in the tech sector is an incredible achievement, and we would love for you to be part of this incredible milestone.
So, mark your calendars for Thursday, 14th September, and join us at our vibrant offices in Borough from 6pm onwards for an evening filled with fun, celebration, and a deep connection to our shared values.
This event promises to be a time to reunite with old friends and colleagues, mingle with esteemed clients, and, most importantly, hear from not one, but three exceptional CEOs – Tom, Rachel, and Marcus, who will share their remarkable insights.
We’re also thrilled to announce the opening of our new office in Sri Lanka, and in honor of this momentous occasion, we will be serving a Sri Lankan buffet and we’ve invited the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, Saroja Sirisena, to grace us with her presence and say a few inspiring words.
So, let’s raise a toast to 25 years of excellence, passion, and making a difference in the world! I hope to see you there!
