Amazon donation helps primary school replace essential equipment

Friends of Helmdon School is a charity that provide pupils of Helmdon School with extra resources and experiences throughout their primary school careers. The charity runs several events each year, including discos, Christmas and Easter celebrations and one-off events such as fetes and quizzes. The donation from Amazon will go towards purchasing new IT equipment for the school.

David Castle, a Senior Program Manager at Amazon, nominated the school for the donation. He said:

"Two of my children are currently attending Helmdon School, and another left recently. I now act as the treasurer and have seen first-hand the challenge schools face when it comes to funding. We are fortunate we have a real community feel, but we don’t have the same financial strength as other larger schools. Having visited the school on a regular basis, it was clear to me that the technology was ageing – one of the class laptops was 12 years old! I am so pleased this donation from Amazon will enable the school to purchase the new IT equipment they need.”

Rebecca Mount, chair of Friends of Helmdon School, added:

“We are so pleased to receive this donation from Amazon. Our priority is the education and enjoyment of education of our pupils, and this donation will help as we aim to do that. Funding constraints meant the school has been unable to replace its IT equipment, but now this will be possible with the help of Amazon.”

The donation forms part of Amazon’s Volunteer Cash Donation Programme, where Amazon employees nominate local causes where they volunteer their time, to receive a cash donation from the company. In September, Amazon employees got together for Amazon’s Global Month of Volunteering, an initiative that aims to help the communities where they live and work. In collaboration with hundreds of community organisations around the world, Amazon employees participated and led in-person and virtual volunteering opportunities to support causes they’re passionate about.

“In September, we came together to help some incredible organisations who are making a real difference in the areas where our employees live and work,” said John Boumphrey, Amazon UK Country Manager. “It was fantastic to see our employees sharing their ideas and tapping into their passions to give back to our local communities.”

Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities in and around its operating locations across the UK. Amazon provides students, teachers and parents with free computer science and STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and has teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than seven million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas of the country.

Earlier this year, Amazon partnered with Comic Relief to become the official home of the Red Nose. Amazon employees across the UK hosted fundraising activities and together with their customers and partners, raised £2.7 million to support those going through the toughest time of their lives.

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