Tag: Dunfermline

Dunfermline children learn lifesaving skills at Amazon

The children of Amazon employees in Dunfermline are one step closer to becoming lifesavers after taking part in a special first aid and CPR training session at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline.

The mini medics course welcomed 23 Amazon employees and their children for a fun and interactive session that introduced them to essential first aid skills, learning how to check for danger and practising CPR techniques.

Mini Medics is a basic first aid course designed for children between the ages of seven and 16. The course introduces children to health knowledge, lifesaving skills and administering first aid. 

Jamie Strain, General Manager at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline, said: “First aid and CPR are important skills for young people to have and I’m pleased that our mini medics course has been so popular with our employees and their families.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to our colleague, Anna, for facilitating the training for our team.”

Anna Soltysiak, an associate at Amazon in Dunfermline who led the training, added: “The children who attended our mini medics events were enthusiastic and keen learners. I had a great time teaching them about first aid.

“It’s important for young people to have basic medical skills, as it may one day help save a life.” 

Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates. Amazon co-founded The Big House Multibank in Fife with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families in need.

The Multibank network has now donated more than 12 million surplus goods to over 800,000 families across Scotland, Wales, Greater Manchester, London, Tees Valley and Birmingham. This year, the Multibank will send 1 million orders to families across the UK. 

Amazon has supported more than one million students across the UK with free STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good.

Amazon partners with Comic Relief and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose. Together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon has raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people across the UK, and around the world.

Volunteers host sustainability workshops for Scottish schools

A group of employees from Amazon’s fulfilment centre have visited seven schools across Dunfermline to host sustainability workshops for pupils. 

The workshops were hosted at Commercial Primary School, St Margaret’s RC Primary School, McLean Primary School, Masterton Primary School, Milesmark Primary School and Carnegie Primary School.

These schools provide inclusive, supportive learning environments where pupils are encouraged to thrive academically and emotionally, preparing them for future success.

41 employees from the sustainability team at Amazon in Dunfermline lead recycling workshops, sharing their tips, tricks and skills for creating a sustainable environment with the pupils. The Amazon team also planted seeds in school gardens and created scavenger hunts for the pupils. 

Natasha Blyth is an employee at Amazon in Dunfermline who visited the schools. She said: “I really appreciate the opportunities Amazon gives us to volunteer. The more we raise awareness around sustainability, the more chance we have for our children to live in a clean, healthy environment.”

Eleanor English, from Masterton Primary School, added: “Thank you to the team from Amazon in Dunfermline for giving their time to raise awareness on sustainability.

“The staff and pupils absolutely loved sprucing up the garden area with our new plants. The support from Amazon is greatly appreciated by all of us at Masterton Primary School – thanks again!”

Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates. Amazon co-founded The Big House Multibank in Fife with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families in need. The Multibank network has now donated more than 8 million surplus goods to over 600,000 families across Scotland, Wales, Greater Manchester, London, Tees Valley and Birmingham. 

Amazon has supported more than one million students across the UK with free STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good.

Amazon partners with Comic Relief and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose. Together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon has raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people across the UK, and around the world.

Amazon Announces New Term-Time Contracts

  • Amazon offers new term-time contracts, providing its operations employees in Dunfermline and across the UK guaranteed time off during Summer, Easter and Christmas holidays, enabling more time with their children
  • The innovative contract is part of a wider flexibility boost which also includes a part-time pick-your-shift option

Amazon has launched an innovative new contract that offers parents, grandparents and guardians of school-age children the choice to work term-time only.

The new contracts, available at the Dunfermline fulfilment centre, guarantee time off for the six-week Summer break, as well as the two-week Easter and Christmas holiday periods, without affecting the comprehensive range of benefits they receive, including private medical insurance and life assurance.

The contracts, aimed at better supporting family needs, were successfully trialed at three sites following employee feedback, and are now being phased in for employees in Dunfermline and across all Amazon’s fulfilment centres – the places where Amazon store, pick and pack items for sale. They will be rolled out to sort centres and delivery stations across the UK later this year.

Amazon also announced a new flexible part-time contract for a minimum of 80 hours a month which lets employees pick and mix the shifts which suit their needs; part-day or full-day, day or night, weekday or weekend. The contract will support people who are unable to find work due to family or other commitments that require flexibility, return to the workplace.

As with all roles at Amazon, a current employee could refer a friend or family member to this option, which could also provide similar, required flexibility to a partner at home. The part-time contract, piloted at five fulfilment centres and now being expanded to a further seven sites, was also introduced as a result of employee feedback.

Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “We’ve listened to our employees’ views on flexible working and I’m really proud that we’ve introduced new and innovative options based on their feedback.

“Both of these contracts put a really important emphasis on work-life balance and I’m certain they’re going to make a positive difference for many of our people.”

John Boumphrey, Amazon’s UK Country Manager, said: “At Amazon, we’re always innovating for our employees and our customers. I’m delighted to announce these new flexible working initiatives that provide even more choice for current and future employees, enabling them to better manage their home and work commitments.

“Amazon already provides a four-day working week for our fulfilment centre employees in the UK, and term-time contracts are another great example of how we are using feedback from our people to support them with their childcare needs, giving families more time together.”

He added: “Providing a flexible part-time contract where people can pick the shifts that best suit their needs will support our employees’ partners and other job-seekers with family caring commitments a route back to the workplace, helping to boost household income.”

Amazon already offers multiple types of contract. A standard working week is 40 hours, with shift-swaps and part-time options.

Term-time contracts are now available to thousands of Amazon’s fulfilment centre employees. The part-time pick-your-shift option has been rolled out to seven fulfilment centres following a successful trial, with more sites soon to follow.

GRoW (Get Ready for Work) supports women back into the workplace. Director Liz Sewell is particularly interested in term-time contracts: “Term-time working has the potential to give a lot of people the support they need, so it’s an interesting and progressive change at Amazon.

“We know that many women want to work flexible hours and for those with younger children term-time working makes so much sense. We believe it’s a great way to support a widening of the workforce as well as providing valuable flexibility for parents.”

Scottish Secretary attends ceremony to mark Dunfermline’s new city status

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has taken part in an event to mark Dunfermline officially becoming a city, after the new status was awarded as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Their Majesties King Charles III and the Queen Consort visited the former town for a ceremony to hand over the Papers Patent, which officially confirms Dunfermline as Scotland’s eighth city.

Inside the City Chambers, King Charles III presented the official documents to Provost of Fife, Councillor Jim Leishman, in front of an audience of invited guests.

Speaking ahead of the event, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “Being awarded city status represents a very special moment for Dunfermline and its community.

“It is particularly poignant, and a true honour, that Their Majesties King Charles III and the Queen Consort will be present at the event, marking their first official engagement since the end of formal Royal mourning.

“This Royal ceremony heralds an exciting new chapter in Dunfermline’s history, and I am delighted to attend and celebrate this wonderful city’s rich heritage and promising future.”

Amazon staff step out in support of Edinburgh Women’s Aid

A group of employees from the Dunfermline Amazon fulfilment centre and the Bathgate Amazon delivery station and sortation centre recently set out to walk from Bathgate to Dunfermline to raise money for Edinburgh Women’s Aid.

The employees set off on their 22-mile excursion from the Amazon delivery station in Bathgate and finished the walk at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline. The colleagues joined forces with the team from Amazon’s delivery station and sortation centre in Bathgate with the aim of raising £1,000 for Edinburgh Women’s Aid.

Edinburgh Women’s Aid is a non-profit organisation that offers practical and emotional support to women and young people. Its aim is to provide a safe environment for those in need of protection from abuse.

The team completed the walk in 8 hours and donated a total of £1,740 to Edinburgh Women’s Aid.

The donation from Amazon will be used to purchase safety devices, food vouchers, clothes and other necessities for those using the charity’s services.

Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “We are proud of the men and women from Amazon in Dunfermline and Bathgate who took part in the fundraising walk for Edinburgh Women’s Aid.

“It was great to see their enthusiasm for a good cause and we are grateful to have them on our team.”

Clare Cornbleet, Senior Delivery Station Manager at Amazon in Bathgate, added: “The sponsored walk for Edinburgh Women’s Aid was a fantastic achievement.

“We want to thank everyone who took part in raising money for the charity at both the Amazon delivery station in Bathgate and at the fulfilment centre in Dunfermline – they’ve helped raise money for a great organisation.”

Olivia Angus, an employee at Amazon in Dunfermline who took part in the charity walk, said: “From everyone who took part in the walk, we want to say thank you for the support from our team at Amazon in Dunfermline and our colleagues in Bathgate.

“It was great to see the team cheering us on at the finish line. Although the weather was not on our side throughout the walk, we had a great time, and it was worth it to be able to provide a donation for such a worthy cause.”

Linda Rodgers, Edinburgh Women’s Aid’s CEO, said: “The team at Edinburgh Women’s Aid would like to say a big thank you to the teams at Amazon in Dunfermline and Bathgate for taking the time to raise money for our charity.

“Well done to everyone involved; your colleagues should be so proud of your achievements.”

The donation to Edinburgh Women’s Aid was made as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities around its operating locations across the UK.

Dunfermline becomes Scotland’s newest city

Dunfermline has been awarded city status in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, it was announced this morning.

Dunfermline is one of eight new cities. The other towns granted city status today were Bangor (Northern Ireland), Colchester, Doncaster, Douglas (Isle of Man), Milton Keynes, Stanley in the Falkland Islands and Wrexham in Wales.

Dumfries, Elgin, Greenock, Livingston, Oban, St Andrews and South Ayrshire had also submitted bids, but missed out this time round.

Dunfermline becomes Scotland’s eighth city following Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling.

Perth was the last Scottish town to be awarded city status during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year in 2012.

Provost of Fife, Cllr Jim Leishman said the award will help Dunfermline to grow economically. He told STV: “The official title of city will give Dunfermline the wider recognition that it deserves as one of the fastest-growing, urban areas in Scotland, offering all the amenities that any modern city could hope for”.

Local MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville added: “Absolutely delighted that Dunfermline has today become Scotland’s eighth city.

“This will be a huge boost for our local community – and especially for our local businesses. Dunfermline has a fantastic story to tell and we now have an exciting opportunity to share it with the world.”