Edinburgh children’s services boosted by Amazon donation

A children’s charity based in Edinburgh has received a donation of £2,000 from Amazon Development Centre Scotland as it continues its services following the impact of COVID-19. 

The staff and volunteers at 16+ Edinburgh, part of Barnardo’s Scotland, received a £1,000 cash donation and a donation of products worth £1,000 from the Amazon team to help increase the reach of its services across the area. 

16+ Edinburgh works with young care leavers aged from 15 to 26 years to support them as they transition out of care and into independent living. 

The donation is part of a longstanding relationship between Amazon and Barnardo’s. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon donated £10,000 to Barnardo’s to help the charity during the early stages of lockdown. 

In late 2019, Amazon donated £30,000 to Barnardo’s and hosted STEM Christmas parties for children supported by the charity in dozens of Amazon buildings across the UK.   

Speaking on the donation, Graeme Smith, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “The team at Amazon is passionate about supporting the young people in our community and we jumped at the chance to make this donation to 16+ Edinburgh.

“The work they do in partnership with Barnardo’s is needed now more than ever and they have our full support as they continue to have a positive impact on children across Edinburgh.” 

Claire MacDonald, Assistant Director from Barnardo’s Scotland, added: “The impact of COVID-19 continues to be deeply felt by children and young people in the Edinburgh community and it’s fantastic to get this support once again from the Amazon team.

“The donation is hugely appreciated by everyone at 16+ Edinburgh and Barnardo’s Scotland and will enable us to continue offering services to the young people who need us most.” 

Community donations are one of a number of ways in which Amazon is supporting communities across the UK during COVID-19. 

Throughout the pandemic Amazon has provided disadvantaged students with online STEM courses and supported virtual classrooms with no-cost resources from AWS and Amazon Future Engineer. The company has also teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver 1.4 million healthy breakfasts to disadvantaged families around the UK. 

For more information on how Amazon is supporting the UK during COVID-19, click here.

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davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer