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Sixty Virgin Atlanic staff have set off to Nairobi in a bid to climb Mount Kenya for charity.
The group,which includes pilots, cabin crew and ground staff, is aiming to climb the 5000 meter summit and raise over £34,000 for a Kenyan village school fund. The building of classrooms and provision of textbooks, school kits, desks and blackboards will come directly from this event.
“I am very proud to see so many staff rising to the challenge and giving so much more than just monetary donations. There is no doubt that the challenge will be gruelling at times but it also promises to be a memorable experience for all of them. The proceeds of their efforts will affect long-term change in the Kenyan village of Sikirar and I wish them the very best of luck” said Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive.
The proceeds of the fundraising will help support the airline’s charity partner, Free the Children. In addition to the building of classrooms, the charity will fund the construction of clean piped water for the whole community along with new latrines, handwashing stations and education on water and sanitation.
A mobile health clinic, health workshops and the construction of community gardens and tree planting are also planned.
Sikirar has a population of 2,200 but has been badly ravaged by famine and suffers from inadequate infrastructure.
Virgin Atlantic is planning to launch a new service between Heathrow and Accra, the capital of Ghana, from 24 May 2010.
The airline plans to operate three services a week, subject to government approval, using an Airbus A340-300 aircraft with 240 seats onboard -34 Upper Class, 35 Premium Economy and 171 Economy.
Steve Ridgway, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, said: “We are delighted that we are able to launch services to this fast growing and vibrant capital city with its historic links to Britain, thriving economy and growing oil and gas industry. Nearly 200,000 people fly between London and Accra each year and our new services will give them more choice and better value for money.
“Ghana is a beacon for economic success in West Africa, and with Africa showing greater economic resilience and growth than other global regions, we are thrilled that this will be our fifth route in Africa. We look forward to offering the best possible service to travellers between Ghana, the UK and the United States,” he said.
The London-Accra route is currently served by British Airways and Ghana Airways. The new Virgin service will operate from Terminal 3.
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