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VIRGIN UNITE

Launched in September 2004, Virgin Unite is the non- profit foundation of the Virgin Group. It unites people across the globe to tackle tough social and environmental problems with an entrepreneurial approach. Its aim is to help revolutionise the way businesses and the social sector work together – driving business as a force for good. This is based on the belief that this is the only way we can address the scale and urgency of the challenges facing the world today. Its work focuses in three core areas.

Business Mobilisation - supporting businesses across the Virgin Group, and beyond, to help them put social and environmental impacts at their core, so that business is a force for good

Entrepreneurial Incubation - developing entrepreneurial initiatives that lead to economic empowerment and healthy communities

Global Leadership Models - using Richard’s mobilising power to create new models to address conflict, climate change and disease.

Business Mobilisation – Business as a Force for Good

Virgin Unite has been working closely with the Virgin businesses all over the world for the last few years to support them in putting driving change for communities and the environment at their core. Many of the businesses are doing exciting work in this area. Some examples are listed below.

It worked closely with Virgin Mobile US to develop The RE*Generation campaign by offering support with strategic development, the design and delivery of staff and customer engagement initiatives and partner management. The initiative enabled Virgin Mobile US staff and customers to support homeless young people and leading grassroots partners such as StandUp for Kids and Youth Noise. Their efforts, reinforced by acclaimed singer songwriter Jewel, have had a ‘disproportionate impact on the issue of youth homelessness’ by: lobbying Congress for the introduction of a Youth Homelessness Month, raising awareness of the issue by 36%, investing over $3 million US and facilitating over 200,000 customer actions in support of the campaign. The next phase in the development of this campaign is other Virgin businesses in the US joining together to maximise their impact and to ensure that business truly is a force for good.

In South Africa, Virgin Active worked with Virgin Unite and local entrepreneur Tumi Masite to open a Community Gym in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg. This initiative has since flourished to become a local community centre offering a number of initiatives that extend beyond fitness, including: rehabilitation for stroke patients that cannot reach hospitals, and the Twilight Kids programme, which encourages street kids to spend time in the gym to distract them from the negative influences of the streets. Virgin Active has a strong global programme to look at how they can help reactivate young lives through a focus on health and wellness.

In 2008 to expand the focus on business as a force for good, Virgin Unite launched Entrepreneurs Unite, a group that brings together successful international entrepreneurs

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to help them leverage their resources, expertise and creative energy to become a force for good. For example, Joe Polish – an internet entrepreneur – has established a group from his contacts and friends to support Virgin Unite and to date they have committed over $1 million US.

Entrepreneurial Incubator - Impact on the Frontlines – bringing together the best of the social and business sectors to create new models

The Bhubezi Community Healthcare Centre has been

established as a ‘one stop healthcare clinic’ resulting from a partnership between USAID, the South African Government, Anglo Coal, Virgin Unite and the Dutch entrepreneur, Doctor Hugo Templeman. The clinic, based in rural South Africa, provides basic healthcare services on a sliding scale fee basis and free diagnosis and treatment for those with HIV and AIDS. Over 40,000 patients were seen in 2009. Of the patients that have been initiated on antiretroviral medication, 80% remain on treatment.

The Branson School of Entrepreneurship was established

to nurture budding entrepreneurs and incubate their businesses by equipping them with skills and seed funding. Virgin Unite is working closely with CIDA City Campus, and other partners, including several Virgin businesses, to train over 800 young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds each year. The School can incubate up to 35 businesses for a 12 month period and a seed fund has supported 14 businesses, employing 175 people to date. For example, Gaming Zone is a video arcade franchise located in repurposed shipping containers in Soweto (a township near Johannesburg), which offers the latest gaming for local children. Gaming Zone employees 15 people and currently consists of seven containers, with 100 -120 children visiting each day.

Businesses across the Virgin Group have also raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to support the Rural Transport Network – providing motorbikes to health workers. These health workers save many lives by delivering essential medicines and health education to people in isolated rural areas in Kenya, but they are also entrepreneurs. The innovative approach of this project means that these riders also have the opportunity to use the motorbikes to start up their own local businesses, such as a taxi or delivery service, enabling them to earn a livelihood for themselves and their families while providing vital services to their communities. There are currently 63 bikes on the road that have provided essential medical care – including reaching over 6,000 people every month through community health outreach events.

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