Four charities based in Edinburgh have received donations totalling £14,000 from Amazon Development Centre Scotland.
Edinburgh Refugee Sponsorship Circle and Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) received £5,000 each, and The Yard and Four Square Scotland each received £2,000.
The charities received the donations following nominations for support from employees at Amazon Development Centre Scotland in Edinburgh and the company’s Head Office in London.
Formed in 2020 with the goal of making Edinburgh a safe place for refugees and asylum seekers to live, Edinburgh Refugee Sponsorship Circle organises safe pathways for families fleeing conflict zones and helps them secure a new life in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council works to combat inequality and discrimination. The charity promotes equality of opportunity and good relations between people in Edinburgh and across the region.
Four Square Scotland supports people impacted by homelessness in Edinburgh. The charity provides accommodation, advice, support and learning and employability training for homeless and vulnerable people.
The Yard has been involved with the Edinburgh community for more than 35 years, supporting disabled children and young people, and their families, through adventure play.
Speaking on the donations, Oliver Masting, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “Edinburgh has been a happy home to Amazon for many years and we’re proud to be a part of the community in the city.
“We’re passionate about supporting great organisations in our community with donations and it’s great to lend a helping hand to these four important charities.”
Jane Devine, Chief Executive from Four Square Scotland added: “It’s fantastic to get this support from Amazon Development Centre Scotland.
“On behalf of all the staff and volunteers at Four Square Scotland, I’d like to say a big thank you to the Amazon teams in Edinburgh and London for their kind support.”
Angus Robertson MSP added: “Each of these charities provide huge support and excellent services to so many in Edinburgh and beyond. They are thoroughly deserving of these donations and I thank Amazon Development Centre employees for their nominations.”
The charities received the donations as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities around its operating locations across the UK.
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 more than five million healthy breakfasts to disadvantaged families around the UK.
For more information on how Amazon is supporting the UK during COVID-19, click here.