Necker Island Becomes a Proud Member of 'Pack for a Purpose'

LONDON, September 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Enabling travellers to make a difference to the local community  

Virgin Limited Edition is thrilled to announce that Necker Island joins its sister properties Kasbah Tamadot and Ulusaba Private Game Reserve in supporting 'Pack for a Purpose', a community based project which is supported by hotels & resorts in 56 countries around the world.

'Pack for a Purpose' provides travellers with up to date information regarding the supplies needed in the community of their travel destination. By creating just a few kilos of space in their suitcases and bringing supplies for schools or medical clinics in need, the initiative allows tourists to create a lasting and priceless impact on the lives of children and families living in the local area.

Necker Island, Kasbah Tamadot and Ulusaba Private Game Reserve are supporting local projects close to the properties heart.

With the help of 'Pack for a Purpose, Necker Island is supporting The Robinson O'Neal Memorial Primary School. The Robinson O'Neal Memorial Primary School, constructed in 1971, was one of the first schools in the area to be built for education purposes. Prior to 1971, schools were housed in churches until the government began providing public building dedicated to education. Since then, the main building has been renovated and now houses only one class of students, with other classes in three additional buildings. Donations from local businesses have allowed for the addition of a computer lab and kitchen in recent years. The number of students keeps growing and all contributions from 'Pack for a Purpose' are a big help.

Kasbah Tamadot, the first hotel in Morocco to join the initiative, is supporting three local charitable projects. The first one is a crèche in Asni, which provides a free-of-charge pre-school activity centre for young children living in remote Berber communities. The crèche helps the children to socialise and learn Arabic and French languages commonly used in Morocco but not always familiar to Berber-speaking children. Asni crèche requires a regular supply of learning materials, toys and fun activities to ensure more children can benefit in the future.

It is also supporting a girl's boarding house in the Atlas Mountains. Built to tackle the problem of transporting young students to school, the boarding house offers girls aged 13 - 18 the opportunity to complete their studies and benefit from much wider chances of employment.

The third project is the Eve Branson Foundation Craft Houses which are set up in several of the nearby villages offer training programmes for young women including English & French lessons, embroidering, knitting and other skills to create high-quality artisan products, from which they can generate a small income.

Ulusaba Private Game Reserve in South Africa has been supporting two main projects for some time through 'Pack for a Purpose'. These are The Dumphries Community Teacher Resource Centre which includes a toy library and resources for teachers working with young children in the wider area and the The Mawewe High School Centre. The centre provides support for students with their homework, research projects, literacy skills and also provides students with access to books and computers, something that would not be made possible without all the generous donations.

Jon Brown, Managing Director of Virgin Limited Edition commented: "As a company we are committed to finding new ways to support the communities living close to our properties. I am thrilled that we are working with 'Pack for a Purpose' to support their goal and help the people who live locally to NeckerIsland, Kasbah Tamadot, and Ulusaba."      

For further information about 'Pack for a Purpose' or to see what supplies are needed please Click here.

Notes to Editors: 

Virgin Limited Edition is an award-winning collection of unique retreats, chosen for their beautiful locations and magnificent surroundings; each offers a sense of fun, style, luxury and exceptional personal service.  The group includes Necker Island in the Caribbean's British Virgin Islands, Ulusaba Private Game Reserve in South Africa, The Roof Gardens and Babylon Restaurant in London; Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco, The Lodge in Verbier, Necker Belle, a 105 foot luxury catamaran, Mahali Mzuri, a tented safari camp in Kenya and Mont Rochelle Hotel and Mountain Vineyard in South Africa. 

Virgin Limited Edition aims to make a credible contribution towards creating a sustainable economy and to meet or exceed the expectations of our customers and stakeholders. 

For more information please visit http://www.kasbahtamadot.virgin.com/en/kasbah_tamadot/about_us/packforapurpose

http://www.neckerisland.virgin.com/en/necker_island/about_us/packforapurpose