Here at Virgin Atlantic we're passionate about supporting sustainable development in our communities. We are working with them to meet sustainability challenges they face right now to help themselves to a better future.

For the next three years Virgin Atlantic are extremely proud to be working with two amazing partners; the UK charity the Travel Foundation and Free The Children, who both support long-term sustainable change in our destinations.

Our 'Change is in the air' programme sets clear tangible goals, linking the environmental and social sides of sustainable development.

These long-term partnerships go beyond donations and will enable our staff and our passengers to learn more about how some of the big global challenges are impacting people in our destinations, and get involved in volunteering projects in the UK and our destinations to support a more sustainable future for these communities.

We have no doubt that the two charities, Free The Children and the Travel Foundation, will capture the hearts and minds of our passengers and staff alike.

The Travel Foundation cares for the people and places we all love to visit. Sustainable tourism can help protect traditions, culture and the natural environment – the things that make your holiday special. It can also improve the lives of the people who live in tourist destinations so they are happy and able to give you a warm welcome.

And the great news is that all of this gives you an even better holiday experience as well as ensuring there are great places for us all to visit, for generations to come.

We’re changing lives in the Caribbean - Over the next three years, the Travel Foundation will work on the profound social and environmental effect of tourism in the Caribbean, where we fly 800,000 customers a year. They will support entrepreneurial business development among disadvantaged youth, particularly in the areas of craft making, beekeeping and fishing.

Our fantastic beekeeping project will help young people learn about traditional skills so they can produce honey to sell to the tourism industry. This will aid the conservation of the honey bee and give you an even sweeter taste of the Caribbean.

Tilapia fish farming is an educational programme that will teach about over-fishing and help young people develop small businesses, enabling them to sell farmed fish to local hotels and restaurants. This will demonstrate an alternative livelihood to traditional fishing and allow you to enjoy fresh fish from a sustainable source while you’re having a fabulous holiday.

Our craft making project will teach new skills, helping young people produce crafts from recycled materials collected from hotels, thereby reducing waste and offering new business opportunities. So, in the near future, you’ll also get to buy hand-made souvenirs in a new craft centre - a unique reminder of your time away!

Free the Children drive global change by educating children about important issues facing the world today, inspiring them to act at a local and a global level, creating positive and lasting change in their communities and in developing countries across the world. Their unique approach aims to free children from poverty and exploitation and from the notion that they are powerless to effect positive change in the world.

Be the change -

As part of their exciting partnership with Virgin Atlantic, Free the Children will work with young people in the UK to empower and inspire them to make a difference in their own lives and those of others. Their domestic empowerment programmes and leadership training will enable young people to develop as socially and environmentally conscious global citizens and become agents of change for their peers around the world.

We’re changing lives in Kenya, China and India -

Internationally, we will work with indigenous people in Kenya, China and India to bring lasting change to some of the poorest local communities in the world.

Free The Children supports holistic and sustainable community developments for marginalized children and their families. Their unique Village programme provides communities in developing countries with access to education, health care, alternative income projects and water and sanitation.

Each Village programme provides

• Education:
  
  

Free The Children believes education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and ending the exploitation of children. It’s where social and economic development begins, and the reason why Free The Children has committed to building schools and education centres for marginalized children around the world.

• Healthcare:

Healthy children are strong children. Free the Children provide communities with health supplies to aid people who are sick, but prevention, education and quality of life are equally important. Lunch programs, community gardens and awareness workshops are an important part of the program.

• Alternative Income Projects:

Free The Children recognizes that parents want to provide for their children but poverty is often a barrier. Through the Alternative Income component of Adopt a Village, it supports marginalized women with sustainable sources of income (e.g. milking and breeding animals, sewing machines for tailoring or business, vocational training and financial literacy workshops) so they can provide their children with crucial opportunities like education.

• Water & Sanitation:

Many diseases and illnesses common to developing communities are transmitted through contaminated water and inadequate sanitation systems. Children are particularly vulnerable. This component provides communities with clean water sources, latrines in schools and education initiatives about water-borne illnesses.

For more information about our work please visit; www.freethechildren.com