Virgin Unite is the charitable arm of the multi-national, multi-dimensional Virgin Corporation.
"Igniting Change has been instrumental in developing Virgin Unite’s social and ethical strategy in Australia. This is because of their unique knowledge about what the most urgent issues are, who’s making the biggest difference in the community and, most importantly, how a large corporation can engage in these issues in the most respectful and sensitive way.
"Igniting Change has connected us with people and organizations that have turned our pre-conceptions of homelessness upside down. They have helped us
"see the person, not the label. By enabling Virgin employees to connect directly with people who don’t have the resources, opportunities or hope that many of us take for granted, our eyes have been opened to the huge needs that are there, but often hidden. In particular, learning that over 32,000 young people are homeless every night has catalysed the Virgin businesses into action and we now look for ways to make whatever impact we can to reduce this number across our businesses. We now more fully understand that anyone, from the CEO to the frontline staff, can play a role in reducing homelessness and its impact.
But the magic of Igniting Change runs deeper than this. The journey with Jane and the team has started to create a connection between young people doing it tough and Virgin employees we never thought possible. As Jane says, “Now young homeless people are mentoring Virgin employees.”
In essence the value of the work of Igniting Change is immeasurable and now part of the DNA of the Virgin brand in Australia, helping us become even stronger going forward."
Mark Gilmour Brand Manager, Virgin Asia Pacific
virginunite.com
The Champions Program is a partnership between Virgin Unite and Oasis Youth Support Network. It is a six month leadership course that aims to equip young people who have formerly been homeless and senior Virgin executives with the skills and training to become passionate, articulate advocates for preventative action against youth homelessness. Employees from across the Australian Virgin businesses and a group of formerly homeless young people from Oasis meet each week in a situation that is very mutually beneficial with business executives consistently getting much more out of the program than ever imagined.
