SupportingIdeas
Virginhasinitiatedanumberofprojectsinanattempttomaketheworldabetterplace.Someexamples:
■WhenAIDSbecameamajorissueinthemid-1980s,VirginlaunchedMatescondomstoincreaseawarenessoftheimportanceofsafesexacrosstheUK.
■ThecompanyhascreatedVirginUnite,anin-housecharitygroupthroughwhichallofVirgin'svariousbusinessunitscancombinetheireffortstodomeaningfulthings.
■Virginhasinstitutedazero-toleranceapproachtobriberyinallitsbusinessunitsacrosstheworld.
■Virginhassetupthe0%Challenge—thatnoVirginstaffshouldeverdiefromAIDS,thatnobodyelsewouldbecomeHIVpositive,thatnoHIV-positivemotherswouldpassonHIVtotheirbabyandthattherewouldbenodiscriminationagainstanystaffmemberwhowasalreadyHIVpositive.AnyonewhoworksforVirginissuppliedwithfreeantiretroviraldrugs.
■VirginUnitehassetuptheBhubeziCommunityHealthCareCenterinMpumalanga,Africaasaone-stopshopforprimaryhealthcare.
■Virginsetupa"warroom"in2006whereanyorganizationcancomeandassistincoordinatingandmobilizingresourcesthatwillbeusedtofightagainstdiseasesinsub-SaharanAfrica.
■VirginUniteislookingforpracticalwaystohelptheestimated1.5millionhomelessteenagersintheUS.
■InApril2006,RichardBransonannouncedthattheVirginGroupwoulddivertalltheprofitsgeneratedfromitscarbon-creatingbusinesses—suchastheairlinesandtrains—intoinvestmentsdesignedtodevelopthecleanertechnologiesofthefuture.Thecompanyestimatesthatthisissomethinglikea$3billioninvestmentincombatingglobalwarming.
■InFebruary2007,VirginannouncedtheVirginEarthChallenge,whichoffersa$25millionprizetoanyonewhocandemonstratetechnologythathasthepotentialtoremoveatleastonebilliontonnesofenvironmentalgreenhousegasesfromtheatmosphereperyear.Thechallengewillrunfortenyearsandisopentoanyonewhohasacreativewaytoaddressthegreenhousegasproblem.Withinthefirstyear,morethan3,000lettersofinterestwerereceivedbythejudgingpanel.