Tag: Amazon Edinburgh

Amazon team in Edinburgh pack thousands of hygiene kits to donate to families in need

The kits of essential items will be donated to ‘The Big Hoose’ Multibank co-founded by Gordon Brown and Amazon

Employees from Amazon’s corporate office in Edinburgh have come together to pack 5,000 hygiene kits filled with essential items worth more than £25,000 for a charity initiative supporting families in need across Fife.

The Hygiene kits which contain essential items such as soap, shampoo, and shower gel packed in a cloth bag, were donated to The Big Hoose, Fife’s Multibank, co-founded by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Amazon UK in 2022.

The Fife Multibank is a community donations hub, offering support for families experiencing poverty across the region. It provides surplus essentials, such as warm clothes, hygiene products, school uniforms, and bedding donated by businesses, like Amazon, directly to those in need.

The products are redistributed via the lead charity partner, The Cottage Family Centre, to charity groups and care professionals who give them directly to people in need, when they need them.

Kitting events also took place in Amazon’s offices in London, Swansea, Cambridge and Manchester with the aim of packing and donating 30,000 essential kits to the Multibank network across the UK.

The events are part of Amazon’s Global Month of Volunteering, an initiative that aims to help the communities where Amazon employees live and work.

During May, thousands of Amazon employees volunteered alongside their peers, adding to the company’s efforts to support its local communities throughout the year.

The volunteer initiatives helped address a range of issues, including STEM education and food insecurity.

Jane Poojari is an employee at Amazon’s corporate office in Edinburgh and took part in the packing event. She said: “I’m proud that my colleagues were able to come together to offer a helping hand to The Big Hoose through this volunteering.

“Amazon already donates thousands of products to the Multibank but it was great to play our part and support the incredible work that The Cottage Family Centre does to help those impacted by poverty in Fife.”

Pauline Buchan, Strategic Manager at The Cottage Family Centre, added: “Too many people in our local community are experiencing poverty and unable to afford the basic essentials so many of us take for granted.

“These kits will make a very real difference to families in our community who need support during difficult times. Thank you to the Amazon team for their ongoing support in helping us ensure The Big Hoose is here to help those who need it most.”

The Big Hoose Multibank has supported more than one hundred thousand of families in Fife with the donation of over a million surplus goods since it began operating in 2022.

Community support organisations, schools and colleges, homeless shelters, and elderly support services in the area have taken delivery of essential supplies from The Big Hoose.

The Big Hoose was the first Multibank established in the UK, an initiative co-founded by Gordon Brown and Amazon. It was followed by a second site in Wigan, Greater Manchester in 2023, then a third in Swansea, South Wales in 2024.

The initiative has now donated more than 2 million surplus essential items to over 200,000 families in need.

Amazon in Edinburgh celebrates Learning at Work Week

A senior programme manager from Fife is sharing his career story during Learning at Work Week 2023 (15th-21st May) with the aim of inspiring others to achieve their professional goals through lifelong learning at work.

Learning at Work Week is an annual programme run by the charity Campaign for Learning. The charity works with organisations around the UK to create activities and fun challenges in the workplace to help employees learn and grow. This year’s theme, Create the Future, explores how lifelong learning at work can help individuals and communities achieve life and work goals, shape lives, drive innovation and achieve organisational ambitions. 

Simon McMahon, who works at Amazon’s corporate office in Edinburgh, has used Amazon’s development and training opportunities to shape his professional career at the company and hopes his story will encourage others to take their career to the next level through the Amazon Career Choice programme.

Simon, who is from Fife, works at the Amazon Development Centre in Edinburgh as a senior programme manager in the UK Impact Team.

Simon joined Amazon in 2010. 13 years and seven promotions later, he has progressed from seasonal employee at the fulfilment centre in Dunfermline to his current role. Simon has taken part in a number of training courses over his years at Amazon, most recently participating in social return on investment studies. 

As part of his current role, Simon is involved in an initiative to donate products to more than 50,000 families in need alongside local charities, businesses and former Prime Minister, Rt Hon Gordon Brown. 

44616 Amazon. Simon McMahon (37), Senior Programme Manager at Amazon EDI5, Edinburgh.

Speaking on his career at Amazon, Simon said: “I’m really fortunate that I enjoy what I do. The roles I have done here have led to a lot of amazing opportunities. Once I started progressing beyond area manager and operations manager, I didn’t see myself working in a social impact and responsibility role, but it’s the best move I’ve ever made and it’s the most fulfilling role I could take on.”

To anyone considering developing their careers at Amazon, Simon said: “Amazon has far more opportunities than you could think of and if there’s something you want to do or learn, you just have to ask. The number of people in my position and beyond that have joined Amazon at entry level and have ended up in a senior management role is staggering. 

Amazon is a company that really benefits people that own their development and learning and I think if you’re motivated, keen to learn and try new things, you can go anywhere.”

Career Choice is an innovative programme which provides funding for adult education, offering to pre-pay 95% of tuition and reimburse employees for eligible fees for nationally recognised courses; up to £8,000 over four years. Courses available include accountancy, HGV driving and software development, and are designed to help employees pursue careers at Amazon or elsewhere.

Since launching in the UK in 2014, Career Choice has seen around 13,000 participants explore a range of opportunities, including starting or returning to school, learning new skills and languages, or earning industry certifications. The most popular fields of study in the UK are transportation administrative and business services and technology.

Amazon also provides opportunities to improve existing skills or learn new ones through internal career progression opportunities such as cross-training, transferring to a different department and promotion into a managerial role.

Oliver Masting, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland added: “We’re extremely pleased to have Simon on the team here at Amazon in Edinburgh. He is an example of how much you can achieve if you put your mind to it, and we’re sure that others will be inspired to fulfil their own potential after hearing his story.

“Career development is at the core of our culture at Amazon; employees have a wide variety of opportunities at their disposal, meaning that lifelong learning is possible for anyone. We look forward to seeing the great things Simon and his colleagues will do in their careers in the future as a result.”

Amazon is investing £10 million over three years in training up to 5,000 employees in new skills to meet the UK’s future employment needs outside of Amazon. Amazon also partners with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and local businesses on the programme to identify regional skills shortages and focus training on local demand.

Amazon employees receive competitive pay and comprehensive benefits. Pay starts between £11 and £12 per hour depending on location and employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount as well as a company pension plan.

To find out more about a career with Amazon, visit Amazon Jobs.

Amazon Edinburgh makes donations to local charities for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

The team from the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh has donated a total of £1,500 worth of toys and pyjamas to Cancer & Leukemia Advice & Support for Parents (CCLASP) and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity as part of the company’s global Amazon Goes Gold campaign during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 

Amazon Goes Gold is Amazon’s annual campaign to raise awareness and funds during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to partnering with hospitals and research organisations around the world, Amazon also wraps a selection of its delivery fleet in gold ribbons during the month of September to further increase awareness across its network. The Amazon Goes Gold campaign was launched in 2017. 

Valerie Simpson, from CCLASP, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many of the team at the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh working in their pyjamas in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness month!

“I’d like to thank Rachel and the team for raising awareness through #AmazonGoesGold and for providing us with a donation, which will be greatly appreciated by everyone at CCLASP. We could hardly believe it when the team showed up with all the pyjamas and toys – the children will love them.” 

While we’re all facing a global pandemic, more than 300,000 children will also be diagnosed with pediatric cancer this year, and it’s the number one non-communicable disease causing the death of children around the world. 

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with CCLASP and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital for Amazon Goes Gold,” said Rachel Seaward-Simpson, Site Leader at the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh.

“We want patients and kids everywhere affected by childhood cancer to imagine the future innovators in themselves. It’s an honour to make a difference for such an important cause that affects families around the world.” 

This donation will support CCLASP and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital in their missions to provide practical and emotional support to families affected by childhood cancer.

Homeless charity’s efforts boosted by Amazon in Edinburgh

A charity that provides support for homeless people in Edinburgh has received a £2,000 donation from Amazon Development Centre Scotland. 

Streetwork has been offering care and guidance to those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Edinburgh for almost 30 years. The charity provides expert advice and compassionate support, working to connect people to the services they need. The mission of the charity is to enable a life off the streets, showing dignity and respect to everyone. 

The capacity of Streetwork in Edinburgh is expanded by being part of ​Simon Community Scotland​. Simon Community Scotland works to combat the causes and effects of homelessness, with a vision that everyone should have a safe place to live and access to the support they need. 

Amazon has been a supporter of Streetwork since 2017, having previously donated £1,000 towards the purchase of heavy-duty sleeping bags for those who had nowhere to live. Earlier this year, the team from Amazon Development Centre Scotland hosted an International Food Day event and raised a further £500 for the charity. 

Graeme Smith, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “It is our pleasure to continue our support of Streetwork in Edinburgh.

“We know that those who are homeless are at greater risk during COVID-19 than ever before and want to ensure any individuals who need help have somewhere to find it. Streetwork is an excellent charity, doing great work, and we can’t thank them enough.” 

Jan Williamson, Assistant Director from Streetwork added: “Like many charities, our resources have been stretched as we respond to COVID-19, so we are very grateful to receive this donation from the Amazon team.

“We strive to show people on the streets that they are cared for and supported, and we cannot do this without the help of the entire community. Thank you, David and the Amazon team, for continuing to support our work.” 

Edinburgh Central MSP, Rt Hon Ruth Davidson commented: “Streetwork does amazing and important work across Edinburgh – work that has never been more important than at this time.

“I welcome this donation from the Amazon Development Centre, which will allow the Streetwork team to help more of our city’s vulnerable and homeless.”

Amazon Development Centre Scotland is responsible for innovations used around the world by the company, including machine learning to power Amazon’s smart features like personalised recommendations. 

Streetwork received the donation as part of the “Amazon in the Community” programme, whereby the company supports the communities around its operating locations across the UK. 

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

Magic! Amazon Edinburgh team helps children receive free breakfasts

Three quarters of a million healthy breakfasts are set for delivery to doorsteps of thousands of children across the UK, supported by the team at Amazon in Edinburgh as part of an expanded partnership with Magic Breakfast 

Breakfast packs containing food supplies from Arla, Heinz, Kellogg’s, Morrisons, New York Bakery Co and Quaker Oats UK will be delivered for free directly to children’s homes by Amazon 

New figures released by the Food Foundation have highlighted the growing issue of child hunger during COVID-19

Parcels of healthy breakfast food delivered by the local Amazon Delivery Station team have been arriving on the doorsteps of thousands of children across the UK, thanks to an expanded partnership between Magic Breakfast and Amazon. 

The team at Amazon’s delivery station in Edinburgh will support the delivery of the parcels of breakfast food through Amazon Logistics to the homes of children across the UK.

Between 11th – 22nd May, more than 1,880 children across Scotland received packs containing two weeks’ worth of Magic Breakfast food, either via their schools, or via an Amazon delivery.

The children receiving these meals can normally have a free breakfast at school, provided by Magic Breakfast, to give them the fuel they need for their morning lessons. Since schools closed due to Covid-19, however, the charity has adapted its delivery model, with help from Amazon, to ensure that children from its partner schools can continue to enjoy their Magic Breakfast at home.

Guided by its partner schools, and with generous support from food suppliers (Arla, Heinz, Kellogg’s, Morrisons, New York Bakery Co, Quaker Oats UK), Magic Breakfast has been able to deliver take home breakfast packs to schools or alternative delivery sites during lockdown. School staff have then been organising for these packs to be collected by families or arranging deliveries to families’ doors.

Kerry-Anne Lawlor, Country Director of Amazon Logistics, said: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing support of Magic Breakfast by delivering breakfast parcels to the doorsteps of thousands of children during this difficult time, ensuring they have a healthy start to the day.” 

To help Magic Breakfast reach more children at risk of hunger under lockdown, Amazon, a long-standing supporter of Magic Breakfast, has stepped in to help with its warehousing and logistics expertise. Since the partnership began in 2016, Amazon has helped Magic Breakfast provide over 1.5 million breakfasts to thousands of children across the UK.

Alex Cunningham, CEO of Magic Breakfast, said: “Amazon staff have bent over backwards to help the children and schools we support.

“In a time when hunger is a reality faced by many, Amazon is enabling Magic Breakfast to reach thousands of vulnerable children with a healthy breakfast – children who can no longer access breakfast provision at school and whose families may be finding it difficult to provide food under lockdown.  A very big thank you to Amazon”.

The Headteacher of a Magic Breakfast partner school said: “Thank you so much for this valuable support you are offering to our families. It is much needed and much appreciated.” 

Amazon will be continuing to offer this free home delivery service to Magic Breakfast for 12 weeks, or for as long as schools remain under lockdown.

Amazon Edinburgh parties after year of success

The team from Amazon’s Customer Services Centre in Edinburgh partied in style at the National Museum of Scotland to celebrate a year of success.

The team was treated to an evening of celebration after a great year in Edinburgh. At the party, guests enjoyed a trapeze act, an awards ceremony, great food and live music.

Amazon’s Edinburgh Site Leader Stephen Lumsden said: “The annual team party is one of the highlights of the year at Amazon in Edinburgh and it gives us the opportunity to say a big thank you to our team for all their efforts over the previous 12 months.

“It’s fantastic to be able to celebrate our success with our brilliant team and in 2020, we are excited to continue delivering smiles to our customers in Edinburgh and beyond.”