Richard Branson’s Post

When the invite for Virgin Atlantic's 40th birthday party in London arrived, I knew I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Still, nothing beats a surprise…

Addressing issues in the education system by involving young people and those closest to the problems is one of the things that Big Change does best. I also love how it uses an entrepreneurial approach to scale its impact by backing early-stage projects that have the potential to transform the industry for the better if they are given the wings to do so. I’ve made no secret of my own struggles with education, so it fills me with pride to see how my kids and the whole Big Change team work so hard to address the root cause of the systemic issues that schools are up against. I’ve watched on with a lot of joy as Big Change has grown and grown over the past 12 years, and its latest impact report speaks volumes. Indeed, in the past four years alone, the charity has directed £5 million of funding to the education projects it supports, which has led to more than £60 million in follow-up funding. These projects have also engaged more than eight million children and young people. Entrepreneurial philanthropy at its best. Here’s more from Holly Branson: https://bit.ly/4fmn6fh

Great to see Virgin Media O2 create free resources that help adults have conversations with children and young people about ways to stay safe online. You can access the support (created in collaboration with Internet Matters Ltd, Action for Children and Good Things Foundation right here: https://lnkd.in/gwn3a76R #FindtheRightWords

Dyslexia doesn't have to stop your dreams coming true - and a 16-year-old I met is an incredible example of how you can turn your challenges into opportunities. Omari McQueen is dyslexic and (just like me) proudly attributes all his brilliant entrepreneurial ideas to his dyslexic thinking skills. Omari’s mum, Leah, empowered him to pursue his passions and not be afraid of failure. Here’s my advice on encouraging kids with dyslexia to discover their superpower: https://virg.in/4d8QO5q

So wonderful to see Virgin Australia show a group of young children with serious illnesses around its training centre, Brisbane Airport, and the Lounge, as part of a brilliant long-standing partnership with the Starlight Children's Foundation Australia. Here’s what they got up to: https://virg.in/4csdoWK

President Biden standing down is a smart, principled decision by a smart, principled man and gives the opportunity for the next generation to move America and humanity forward.

Cramming your colleagues’ diaries with meetings has got to be one of the worst things you can do for creativity and innovation, particularly in the world of remote working. A helpful reminder: https://lnkd.in/gBpcn8Nc

Kicking it old school… Virgin Atlantic ✈️

Thoughts on the best way forward for Israel and Palestine. A Land for All: https://virg.in/3Sc9FED

Taking the ‘im’ from impossible is what entrepreneurs do best. When I went through school with undiagnosed dyslexia, everything seemed impossible. My grades were abysmal, my football dreams had been shattered (quite literally) by a knee injury, and I was insufferably shy. Huddled up indoors, I became obsessed with the news, politics, and global affairs. Then I became frustrated because they weren’t teaching us this stuff in school. The Vietnam War was dominating the headlines, but we were too busy with algebra to learn anything about it. I came up with an idea to launch a youth magazine, but I had no money, no experience, and I could hardly spell. It seemed impossible, but I couldn’t shake it. I jotted down some ideas for a name, I wrote out what I wanted to publish, I did some sums, and I brought my friend Jonny Gems in. I wrote out a list of 250 MPs I found in Who’s Who, and a list of possible advertisers I found in the telephone book. I also wrote to WH Smith asking whether they would be prepared to stock the magazine. Looking back now, the audacity of trying to stock a magazine and sell advertising for a publication that did not exist might have prevented me from picking up the phone at all. But I was too young to contemplate failure. Thankfully. My mother lent me £4 as a float against the cost of telephone calls and letters, and Jonny’s father arranged a headed notepaper with ‘STUDENT – THE MAGAZINE FOR BRITAIN’S YOUTH’ printed across the top with the symbol of a rising sun. After two years of chipping away at the idea, the first issue of Student was published in January 1968. From that point forth, turning the impossible into the possible became a daily task – not that I realised it at the time. That’s the best thing about being an entrepreneur. Everyday you’re reaching new heights. From getting Peter Blake (who designed The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's album cover) to sketch our first cover-page, to receiving our first £250 cheque for advertising, setting up our office in the crypt of a church, and securing interviews with incredible people like Vanessa Redgrave and James Baldwin. Those ramshackle years we spent taking ‘one step forward and five steps back’ made everything possible. #entrepreneurship #learning #growth