Tag: Smart Works

Edinburgh charity Smart Works boosted by Amazon donation

A women’s charity in Edinburgh has received a £2,000 donation from the Amazon Development Centre Scotland team in the city.

Smart Works Scotland provides unemployed women with clothing for interviews, coaching and confidence training to have a better opportunity of securing employment. Opening its doors in 2014, the charity has supported thousands of women into employment.

Stacy Lundquist, Software Development Engineer at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, nominated the charity for support because of its positive impact over the last decade. She said: “I nominated Smart Works for support due to the impactful work that they do.

“Not only does the charity operate in communities across Scotland, but it effectively and actively combats many issues that UN Women has frequently highlighted, such as women’s economic empowerment.

“The staff and volunteers at Smart Works ensure that no unemployed woman is left in the dark about the next steps to a career.”

Rachel Shields, from Smart Works Scotland, added: “Thank you to Stacy and the team at Amazon Development Centre Scotland for their support and recognition of our hard work. 71% of our clients go on to get a job within one month of their time with us and, with donations like this, we can continue to help unemployed women reach their full potential.”

The donation forms part of Amazon’s Volunteer Cash Donation Programme, where Amazon employees nominate causes where they volunteer their time, to receive a cash donation.  In collaboration with hundreds of community organisations around the world, Amazon employees are encouraged to volunteer and support causes they’re passionate about.

Community cash donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates.

In 2022, Amazon co-founded the Multibank initiative with former Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families experinecing poverty. The first Multibank, ‘The Big Hoose’, opened in Lochgelly, Fife providing surplus essentials like nappies, toilet rolls, toothpaste and school uniforms, donated by businesses like Amazon and others, directly to those in need.

The initiative has gone on to donate more than 2 million goods to over 200,000 families across Scotland and Greater Manchester.

Amazon also helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good, including more than seven million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in partnership with Magic Breakfast.

Amazon partners with Comic Relief to help people tackle poverty and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose.

Last year, together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon raised over £2.7 million to fund projects that support people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and tackle issues such as homelessness, mental health problems, and food insecurity across the UK, and around the world.

Amazon has supported more than 500,000 students across the UK with free computer science and STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer.

Learn more about the ways Amazon supports its communities at www.aboutamazon.co.uk/impact/community

Barratt Developments supports women and families with East of Scotland community fund

Three essential causes focused on improving the lives and wellbeing of women and families in the East of Scotland have benefited from donations from Barratt Developments’ community fund.

Barratt Developments, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, currently donates £1,500 per month to local charities in its divisions as part of the homebuilder’s pledge to improve the quality of life of those living in the areas in which it operates.

To kick off the first quarter of the year, £1,500 was donated to Smart Works in January – an organisation that supports the most vulnerable women in society by providing interview clothing, styling services and professional interview coaching.

The women who come to Smart Works are often referred from Job Centres, mental health charities, women’s refuges, homeless shelters, the prison service, the care service and youth organisations. The essential resources provided by the charity not only allow 72% of its service users to gain employment each month, but also helps improve women’s overall confidence and self-esteem.

Rachel Shields, Fundraising and Partnerships Manager at Smart Works Scotland, said: “We’re so grateful for this donation. In the shadow of the cost-of-living crisis our service has never been more needed.

“In response to increasing demand, we are expanding our service in Scotland, and we just had our biggest month for appointments in March.

“With support like this from Barratt, we’re one step closer to achieving the ambition of our 3-year plan to double the number of women who access our transformative service by March 2025.”

In February, a further £1,500 was given to Stepping Stones North Edinburgh. 

Supporting pregnant women and young families, Stepping Stones provides a range of services focused on mental and emotional wellbeing, resilience building, reducing isolation and early learning services.

The donation has been used by the Stepping Stones team to improve play materials used by the organisation’s Steps to Grow group. Run on Wednesdays throughout the year at Granton Community Garden, the shared space provides children and their caregivers with the opportunity to socialise in a safe, secure and enriching environment.

Dee Reid, Early Learning Practitioner at Stepping Stones North Edinburgh, said: “Barratt’sgenerous donation has enabled us to purchase some much needed and durable equipment for our garden group to proceed in a safe and effective way, within our environment.

“This will hopefully benefit our families greatly, and they can continue to enjoy the equipment and new resources for years to come.”

To round off the quarter, Barratt Developments donated £1,500 in March to SiMBA (Simpson’s Memory Box Appeal).

The charity’s aim is to honour babies who have died, are stillborn or miscarried through supporting parents by gathering precious items in Memory Boxes, spending time with the baby in a comfortable Family Room, and providing the chance to remember and reflect at the Tree of Tranquillity.

The funds received from Barratt Developments will help SiMBA to continue to provide these services to families in the East of Scotland.

Vanessa Rhazali, Head of Fundraising and Communications at SiMBA, said: “We were delighted to receive a generous donation from Barratt Homes.

“The funds will go directly towards providing Memory Boxes to bereaved parents at their critical time of loss. The Memory Boxes offer comfort at one of the most traumatic times of their lives, while also holding cherished memories for the family to honour their baby for the years that follow.”

Alison Condie, Managing Director at Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes East Scotland, said: “Giving back to the communities in which we build has always been a priority for Barratt Developments, and we try our best to identify the charities most in need in our divisions with the help of our customers.

“This quarter we’ve donated to three fantastic causes that are supporting women and families in the East of Scotland. To be able to provide essential services in the current climate can be extremely challenging for charities.

“Hopefully, these donations will help them to continue the vital work they are doing in their local communities.”

For more information on Barratt Developments in the East of Scotland, visit:

https://www.barratthomes.co.uk/new-homes/scotland-east/