Ethos magazine

09/01/2026

It’s not uncommon now to nip into a book shop and see a paperback bordering on the £12 mark.

At the same time, reading levels are falling globally while poor literary rates are increasing.

“Read more, then,” we hear you shout. But what if your reading confidence is low, you’re time-poor or are becoming priced out of reading during a cost-of-living crisis?

Enter Project Gutenberg, the internet’s library.

Project Gutenberg is home to more than 75,000 free eBooks in a number of formats; history’s greatest classics mixed with other more contemporary titles that you only need a web browser, Kindle or ePub app to read.

“It’s critically important to literacy that there is access to the written word. Project Gutenberg provides that. That doesn’t give an instant solution to literacy and poverty. Access to the written word is necessary but not sufficient,” Dr Greg Newby tells us in Ethos 23.

“It’s up to other organisations to leverage Project Gutenberg’s and others’ resources to really improve literacy.”

Read all about the incredible work Project Gutenberg has done over the last 50 years to make reading accessible to all, now, here: https://ethos-magazine.com/unlimited-editions/

Project Gutenberg’s online library has more than 75,000 free eBooks in a number of formats; history’s greatest classics to download for free.

07/01/2026

Did you know next year is the National Year of Reading? We’re excited, and can’t wait to Go All In! 📖🤓

The National Year of Reading 2026 - AKA Go All In - has been commissioned by the UK government and designed as a private/public funded collective action campaign to change the UK’s reading culture; for this year and beyond.

Why now, though? Statistics from the National Literacy Trust’s Annual Literacy Survey (2025) show that only one in three children and young people aged 8 to 18 reported enjoying reading in their free time, while just one in five read something daily.

Research from The Reading Agency (2024) also highlights a lack of reading among adults with time constraints, lack of access to reading materials and low confidence cited as reasons.

Go All In wants to reverse those trends. Reading not only brings so much joy, but also brings people together, sparks imagination, enhances creativity, helps people to learn new skills, perfect existing ones, discover new talents and so, so much more.

We love the look of Go All In and will be highlighting it throughout the year. Until then, though, if you’ve neglected reading lately or want to help someone discover the warmth of a good book - be our guest and help yourselves!

Find out more about Go All here: https://www.goallin.org.uk

18/12/2025

It’s nearly here… 🎄❄️

We hope your festive season is a happy one, filled with fun and full of love.

This year has been a real milestone for us at Ethos, culminating in the launch of our landmark tenth anniversary issue.

You can get your copy here: https://ethos-magazine.com/product/ethos-23/

We’re already looking forward to what 2026 will bring, and can’t wait to come back in the New Year to tell you all more amazing stories of innovative businesses around the world who are doing it better.

Until then, though, the Ethos team wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

17/12/2025

The ethos of Ethos is to bring good stories to the world, and tell them well. And for ten years, we’ve endeavoured to do just that 🤝

But for every magazine published, that’s another bundle of insights given not just to our readers, but to ourselves. We’ve learned a lot doing this for a decade. And we wanted to share a few of those lessons with you:

Fiona: Sometimes things feel like they’re going backwards. And – although it’s hard – that’s when this is even more important.

Holly: For me, 2025 was about being surrounded by people and stories of those doing things differently – in their work and in themselves – a reminder that progress looks different for everyone.

Faaiza: Since joining the Ethos team in 2025, I’ve gained so many different and new experiences that I can’t wait to bring them into the new year with me. I think 2026 is going to be an exciting one, and I'm curious to see where it takes me, thanks to the great things I’ve built this year.

John: All around you, every day, people matter. Don’t take them for granted - especially the ones who give you their patience, time, and help you up when you stumble.

Thank you for another wonderful year, and we hope you'll follow along with us next year and long after, too! https://ethos-magazine.com/

15/12/2025

From issue one to issue 23 – and soon, issue 24. Thank you for being with us, season after season.

Join us in 2026 for better business stories from innovators across the world who are doing it right: https://ethos-magazine.com/

12/12/2025

Ten years later, there are no quick fixes.

As we celebrate ten years since the launch of Ethos, we took the opportunity to catch up with the launch team, reflecting on what these ten years have taught us – the setbacks, surprises and the stubborn power of hope.

Fiona – the power of persistence. Change isn’t linear. The fight for fairer, greener, more humane business keeps stalling and starting again – but each story told and each small act of progress still matters. Hope, however bruised it feels right now, keeps us moving forward.

Andrew – holding on to values. Business can, and must, still be a force for good. Even when global challenges multiply and commitments falter, stories of integrity and purpose remind us why we started – and why we can’t give up on the idea of business as a driver for change.

Lucy – seeing the world through new eyes. A decade on, Lucy’s reflections move from global impact to the magic of small moments – from telling stories of changemakers to watching her son discover the world. It’s a reminder that real change starts close to home and that care and curiosity are timeless.

Patrick – beginnings and belonging. Looking back to Ethos’ roots in Liverpool’s International Festival for Business, Patrick reminded us that most things worth doing are hard – and that great ideas often begin with chance meetings, shared values and a lot of patience.

Read the full story now on our website: https://ethos-magazine.com/ten-years-later-there-are-no-quick-fixes/

And get your copy of our landmark issue, Ethos 23, here: https://ethos-magazine.com/shop/

10/12/2025

“What we can do is move. Forward, however haltingly.

“Progress has always been a clean line rather than a stuttering rhythm – one step, a pause, sometimes even a slide backwards, before another push ahead.

“And that’s what makes reflection useful: not as a map of regret, but as a compass for where we go next.

“Looking back tells us where we’ve come from, what was lost, and what still matters enough to carry forward.”

- Fiona Shaw’s publisher’s note in Ethos 23, our tenth anniversary landmark issue.

Thanks for supporting us all these years! You can get your copy now and subscribe on our website: https://ethos-magazine.com/shop/

08/12/2025

We asked Colin Herperger, CEO of Ventete, to tell us his ethos in issue 23 - our tenth anniversary special🚴

“To learn. To try to do something that you know is hard, or on the edge of possibility and act upon it. And to bring together other people with the same desire to find the edge of possibility,” he said.

“It’s being able to construct company or a life that allows that to happen each day.”

Ventete is doing just that. Designed and prototyped in east , Ventete’s incredible, innovative inflatable cycle helmets far exceed UK and EU safety standards and have the style to match their substance.⁠

You can read all about them, hear more from Colin, and learn more about Ventete’s amazing journey in Ethos 23 - out now: https://ethos-magazine.com/product/ethos-23/

📸 - Dan Tobin Smith and Maria Lax

05/12/2025

Christmas is just around the corner🎄❄️

If you’re still looking for great gift ideas, a subscription to Ethos might just be the perfect prezzie for the people in your life who love to read, be inspired and dream of a better world.

A subscription means they won't miss an issue. We’ll send you a voucher that you can put in a card or email to them and they’ll also get our Ethos ‘welcome’ pack in the new year – a great way to cheer up a dreary January day.

Click here and take the stress out of Christmas shopping: https://ethos-magazine.com/shop/

03/12/2025

In a column for Ethos 23, Lisa Riemers and Matisse Hamel-Nelis explore the evolving landscape of accessibility in the workplace for organisations and consumers, and discuss how they can approach sustainability.

To strive for a more inclusive society, they emphasise the importance of reshaping consumer expectations and business strategies, both in physical spaces and – given the significant rise in remote work – within digital environments, ensuring they remain on the right side of cultural change.

From Tokyo to Toronto, London to Melbourne, how organisations approach accessibility and inclusion signals their values to an interconnected world.

What began as a compliance exercise has grown into a movement that is reshaping consumer expectations and business strategies.

Read their thoughts here on our website: https://ethos-magazine.com/the-role-of-accessibility/

Lisa Riemers and Matisse Hamel-Nelis explore how global organisations approach accessibility and inclusion, and how it signals their values.

01/12/2025

“And so in year ten of the Ethos story, perhaps what Ethos stands for is more important than ever.

"The challenges we face are intensifying: global warming, biodiversity loss, worsening inequality, cuts to the DEI programmes, regulatory retreat from environmental social commitments.

"It’d be easy to feel deflated, or even defeated, by what feels like mounting challenges and setbacks to causes, but in a time when many are retreating we must keep looking forward – lifting up stories of what works, pushing for transparency, for accountability.”

- Andrew Beattie, co-founder

You can read more of the thoughts our founders from our special tenth anniversary issue here: https://ethos-magazine.com/ten-years-later-there-are-no-quick-fixes/

And get your copy of Ethos 23 here: https://ethos-magazine.com/product/ethos-23/

28/11/2025

Today is Colour Friday! Created by the wonderful Holly & Co, encourages us all to shop with small businesses to support them instead of falling for Black Friday hype.

You can find out more about Colour Friday and how the movement helps small, local, independent businesses here: https://holly.co/campaigns/colour-friday

It’s a campaign we like to get behind - and, to do our bit, we’ve created a Christmas guide featuring innovative small businesses, the incredible products they provide and more.

If you want to shop slowly, whether it’s treating yourself or browsing for the perfect gift for somebody else, there’s something for everybody - from festive candles, adaptive clothing and ethically-sourced treats.

So, for a more sustainable Christmas, how about:

- Colourful and fun cards created by talented artists with learning and physical disabilities from Arthouse Unlimited

- Regenerated denim jeans made from 100% recycled cotton by MTTR

- Biodegradable jumpers, hoodies and more that use wool from farms with carbon-negative practices from sheepincluded

- An Ethos subscription for those who love long reads and discovering more about ethical, innovative businesses doing it better.

All of this and so much can be found in our sustainable Christmas gift guide. Read it here now: https://ethos-magazine.com/ethos-2025-christmas-gift-guide/

✍️ - Faaiza Akbor

🎨 - Rebecca Strickson, Holly Tucker, Holly Carter