Sir Richard Branson announces Virgin Mobile’s RE*Generation expanded youth initiative

By Sonya Davidson

This week, Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Mobile hosted an exclusive live concert event with The Arkells in Toronto to announce a new initiative to help at-risk and homeless youth. The Virgin Mobile RE*Generation social initiative, which began in 2008, will be re-focusing on programs with partners that will help youth develop skills needed to get, and keep, jobs.

There are 225,000 Canadian youth who are not in school and not working. Virgin Mobile also mentioned that there are also about 35,000 are in emergency shelters and 6000 youth living on the street.

Virgin Mobile RE*Generation is committed to helping 450 young people find work in the next three years. The organization has teamed up with CivicAction and Social Capital Partners to raise awareness about how Canadians can help youth find and keep jobs. Investments will be made in programs that provide at-risk and homeless youth with the in-demand skills employers are looking for in IT, digital print, food services and construction industries. These programs will be managed by leading youth-serving groups including NPower Canada, Eva's Phoenix, Threshold School of Building, Wood's Homes and Broadway Youth Resource Centre.

“For a long time now, I believe that businesses around the world should join the social sectors and politicians and not just make money but adopt the problems and go out to help solves these programs,” said Sir Richard Branson. “What we are hoping is that we can spark other companies to help and follow suit.”

Virgin Mobile has two existing RE*Generation programs in place and announces that Samsung Canada is joining in the initiative. For the first time ever, four phones from the GALAXY family of devices will help do some good. A portion of sales of the designated phones purchased in Canada to help at-risk and homeless youth gain employment through Virgin Mobile RE*Generation. Virgin Mobile will also host a holiday RE*Generation benefit concert (stay tuned!).

"We wanted to offer more Members and Canadians the opportunity to make an impact in the lives of at-risk and homeless youth," says Joseph Ottorino, managing director, Virgin Mobile Canada. "The new and expanded RE*Generation phone program and benefit concert provide the perfect opportunity for more people to do some good." 

This movement is committed to helping at-risk and homeless youth across the country get the skills they need to find and keep jobs. Since 2008, more than $2.5 million has been raised and dispersed to leading youth-serving agencies across the country from programs such as Change For A Dollar, Text to Donate, the RE*Generation phone and ongoing benefit concerts.

(Photo Courtesy of: CNW Group/Virgin Mobile Canada)