FACTBOX: Virgin Group: from wedding frocks to space travel

(Reuters) - Richard Branson's Virgin Group is leading a consortium that wants to take over troubled British bank Northern Rock NRK.L.

Here are some key facts about the group, which calls itself "a leading branded venture capital organization" and spans a diverse range of businesses:

* Worldwide revenues exceeded 10 billion pounds ($20.4 billion) last year from more than 200 companies, employing around 50,000 people in 29 countries.

* Northern Rock would be renamed and slotted into Virgin Money, joining the group's stable of financial services that includes credit cards, home loans, insurance, pensions and savings.

* Travel is a strong leg of the operation, encompassing Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Trains, Virgin Holidays and Virgin Galactic, which plans to offer the world's first commercial passenger space flights.

* Virgin Media is another major plank, covering broadband, cable television and mobile telephony. It was created earlier this year by merging Branson's mobile phone group with cable TV firm NTL.

* In retail, the Virgin line-up includes books, music, drinks and wedding dresses.