Eve Branson Foundation

What is the Eve Branson Foundation? 

Founded and led by Richard’s late mum, Eve, the Eve Branson Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of people in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains. 

When setting up the foundation, Eve established three craft centres for local women and early school-leavers – the centres provided a place they could participate in training programmes and gain access to tools and materials to practice artisan skills. Their handmade crafts were then sold to visitors, generating a small income for themselves and their families. Eve also spearheaded grassroots community initiatives that promoted healthcare, tackled environmental issues, and improved access to education. 

Virgin Unite supports the Eve Branson Foundation and helps to continue the work that Eve started during her lifetime. 

What does the Eve Branson Foundation do? 

The Eve Branson Foundation’s mission is to create opportunities for local people which can make a meaningful difference to their families and community.  

Since 2005, it has developed initiatives in four key areas: artisanal training; environment, healthcare and education.  

The Eve Branson Foundation’s first craft centre was established to train young women who had dropped out of school. Today, it runs artisanal training programmes for women and men in weaving, woodworking and embroidery which have helped to sustain livelihoods and preserve traditional Moroccan crafts.  

Each programme encourages the production and selling of artisan goods in the foundation’s dedicated craft shop so that participants are able to generate a small income for themselves and their families. 

Alongside skills-training, the Eve Branson Foundation works with partners to support community initiatives which include a walk-in dental clinic to provide children with pain-free dental care; a weekly litter collection programme; and the development of a new study centre that will benefit more than 500 secondary school students.  

The Eve Branson Foundation works hand in hand with the team at Virgin Limited Edition’s property, Kasbah Tamadot with a shared commitment to build a healthy and resilient community through their close partnership.  

Working closely with each village, they have learned through mutual respect and determination how to successfully combine an entrepreneurial spirit with the Berber culture.