Points for Good: Virgin Red adds four new charities to its rewards club

Acts of kindness make the world go round – and at Virgin Red, it couldn’t be easier to spread the love. The new rewards club from Virgin has expanded its Points for Good category, adding four new charities for members to donate their points to. 

The new additions are Air Ambulances UK, LGBT Foundation, Mind and Open Palm. They join a growing line-up of over fourteen local and national charities that members can choose to support, using their points as donations to bring about positive change. 

Virgin Red is one of the only reward clubs of its kind to allow members to donate points to important causes in this way. With online donations increasing by 115% during the course pandemic and 44% of the public making donations this summer alone, Brits are eager to make a difference in uncertain times.

Virgin Red’s Points for Good category is an opportunity to do exactly that, connecting members with a range of communities and causes that matter to them on a personal level. At a click of a button, members can choose to donate 1,000 points or more to anything from life-saving cancer research to homeless youth support, pioneering green tech and so much more. 

“Our Points for Good category is a really important part of what Virgin Red has to offer,” says Charlotte Sjoberg, Corporate Affairs Director at Virgin Red. “Our members have already donated more than 741,000 points to ten different charities and we’re really pleased to welcome these four new charities to the Virgin Red family and give our members the opportunity to support a growing list of good causes.” 

Here’s everything you need to know about the brilliant new additions to Virgin Red:

Air Ambulances UK

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Air Ambulances UK is the national charity for the UK’s air ambulances. They champion, represent and support the lifesaving work of air ambulance charities across the UK, enabling them to save even more lives every day. Each day air ambulance charities are collectively dispatched to around 80 lifesaving missions; each lifesaving mission costs around £2,500-£3,500 and are funded almost entirely by donations.

“This great initiative with Virgin Red will help air ambulance charities to save even more lives,” says Simmy Akhtar, CEO.

Find out more and donate your points to Air Ambulances UK

LGBT Foundation

Established in 1975, LGBT Foundation exists to support the needs of the diverse range of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans. They believe in a fair and equal society where all LGBT people can achieve their full potential. Each year, LGBT Foundation services over 40,00 people, as well as providing information to over 60,000 individuals online. 

“Donating points will enable us to continue to provide support to LGBT people in crisis and need our services,” says Paul Martin, CEO.

Find out more and donate your points to LGBT Foundation

Mind

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Mind is one of the UK’s leading mental health charities providing advice and support to anyone experiencing mental health problems. The charity also campaigns to improve mental health services, and to raise awareness and promote understanding.

“Virgin Red’s support will help Mind continue to be there for the one in four of us who experience a mental health problem every year,” says Emma Ihsan, Head of Corporate Partnerships. 

Find out more and donate your points to Mind

Open Palm

Open Palm empowers young people to reach their full potential regardless of their ethnic or social background. The charity achieves this by delivering educational life-skills programmes on personal finance and employability, which provide young people with an accreditation, supporting under-funded schools and promoting racial equality. The charity began operating in July 2020 and supported over 500 young people in its first year.

“The Points for Good initiative helps education charities like ourselves to improve prospects for young people,” says Sophie McBaiden, Co-Founder and Trustee.

Find out more and donate your points to Open Palm

Virgin Red is a rewards programme that allows members to earn and spend across five different reward categories: Everyday Treats, Travel and Adventure, Everyday Living, Extraordinary Experiences and Points for Good. 

You don’t have to be an existing Virgin customer; anyone can sign up and start earning and spending Virgin Points across the Virgin Group and beyond. Discover more right here.