A local children's charity received £2,000 from the Amazon fulfilment centre in Milton Keynes as it continues to reopen its services following the impact of COVID-19.
The staff and volunteers at Barnardo’s Young People Independent Visitors in Bedford received a £1,000 cash donation and a donation of play materials worth £1,000 from the Amazon team.
The Bedford Borough Independent Visitors service carefully recruits and trains volunteers to become independent visitors and matches them with young people so they can befriend, advise and support.
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, General Manager at Amazon Milton Keynes, Shauli Ziv, 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 Bedford borough Independent Visitors. The work they do is needed now more than ever and they have our full support as they continue to have a positive impact on children across Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.”
Hugh Sherriffe, Regional Director at Barnardo’s, added: “The impact of COVID-19 continues to be deeply felt by children in the Milton Keynes and surrounding communities and it’s fantastic to get this support once again from the Amazon team. The financial and product donations are hugely appreciated by everyone at Milton Keynes Young People Independent Visitors and Barnardo’s and will enable us to continue offering services to the young people who need us most.”
