Eve Branson

Eve Branson
Branson in 2013
Born Evette Huntley Flindt[1]
(1924-07-12) 12 July 1924[2]
Edmonton, Middlesex, England
Nationality British
Occupation Founder & Director
Eve Branson Foundation
Philanthropist
Child welfare advocate
Board member of International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children
Spouse(s) Edward James Branson (1918–2011)
Children Richard Branson
Vanessa Branson
Lindy Branson
Website evebransonfoundation.org.uk

Evette Huntley Branson (née Flindt; born 12 July 1924)[3][4] is a British philanthropist, child welfare advocate, and the mother of Richard Branson.[5][6]

Life and career

Branson was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, England, the daughter of Dorothy Constance (Jenkins) and Major Rupert Ernest Huntley Flindt.[7][1] As a young adult, Branson served in the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRENS) during World War II. After the war ended, Branson toured Germany as a ballet dancer with Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA).[8] She later became an airline hostess for British South American Airways. After marrying, she ran a real estate business and was a military police officer and probation officer. She has written novels and children's books.[6]

At the age of eighty-nine, Branson launched her autobiography entitled Mum's the Word: The High-Flying Adventures of Eve Branson.[9]

Charitable work

Eve Branson with the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children

Throughout her life, Branson has been a child welfare advocate. She established the Eve Branson Foundation and currently serves as director. This charitable organisation provides communities in Morocco with income-generating projects and training.[6]

Branson is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children ("ICMEC"), the goal of which is to help find missing children, and to stop the exploitation of children.[10][11] She was a founding member of ICMEC's Board of Directors in 1999, seeking to generate awareness of the Centre's work, and her son Richard was ICMEC's founding sponsor.[11][12]

Personal life

She was married to Edward James Branson, a former cavalryman. He died on 19 March 2011 in his sleep at the age of 93.[8]

In 2011, Branson escaped the fire at her son's Caribbean island home on Necker Island, and Kate Winslet who was also at the house at the time picked her up and helped her down four steps.[13][14]

References

  1. 1 2 Finding Your Roots, February 2, 2016, PBS
  2. ↑ https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/happy-birthday-mum-9-photos-for-eves-90th-birthday
  3. ↑ Mum's the Word: The High-Flying Adventures of Eve Branson, 2013, pg 4
  4. ↑ https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/happy-birthday-mum-9-photos-for-eves-90th-birthday
  5. ↑ It really is still all about Eve Branson. Daily Express. 24 September 2011
  6. 1 2 3 "Eve's Story". The Eve Branson Foundation. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  7. ↑ Mum's the Word: The High-Flying Adventures of Eve Branson, 2013, pg 3
  8. 1 2 "Eve Branson talks to Saga Magazine". Saga Magazine. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  9. ↑ Louise Saunders (12 March 2013). "Branson family turn out to support grandmother Eve, 89, at the launch of her autobiographical book". Daily Mail. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  10. ↑ "ICMEC Board Members" Archived 3 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine.. icmec.org.
  11. 1 2 Eve Branson (2013) Mum's the Word, p. 207.
  12. ↑ "International Children's Organization Expands Global Reach With Four New Board Members" Archived 29 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine.. icmec.org.
  13. ↑ "Richard Branson's mother Eve says Kate Winslet didn't save her from Necker Island fire | Daily Mail Online". Daily Mail.
  14. ↑ Elizabeth Day. "Eve Branson: ‘I was not saved by Kate Winslet!’". The Guardian.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.