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Amazon in the Community

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About Amazon in the Community

At Amazon, if we do our job right, our greatest contribution to the good of society will come from our core business activities: lowering prices, expanding selection, driving convenience, providing frustration-free packaging, creating Kindle, innovating in web services, and other initiatives we'll work hard on in the future.

We also contribute to the communities where our employees and customers live. For many years individuals, teams and entire sites have participated actively in the community in many ways to raise funds for deserving causes and organisations.

If you would like to contact Amazon about your community activity, please send an email to: uk-charity-request@amazon.co.uk.

In the UK

On Thursday November 28, 2013, we were invited to attend the Slough Business Community Partnership (SBCP) Annual Conference and were delighted to receive the Company of the Year Award in recognition of our volunteering programme that "has made a significant difference to the communities of Slough". Find out more about the SBCP.

Here are some examples of the organisations that have received contributions, be it financial donations or giving of time:

• The Parish of St Joseph & St Etheldreda --Rugeley
• Chancel Primary School - Parents, Teachers & Friends association --Rugeley
• Cannock Chase High School--Rugeley
• ADSIS—Rugeley
• 11th Burton Scout Group--Rugeley
• 2nd Cannock Girl Guides --Rugeley
• Fair Oak Academy—Rugeley
• Harry's Trust -- Swansea
• Veteran Horse Welfare -- Swansea
• Aids Trust Cymru – Swansea
• Autism Initatives UK--Edinburgh
• Childrens Holiday Venture --Edinburgh
• Islamic Relief Worldwide --Edinburgh
• Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (SANDS) –Edinburgh
• Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts—Dunfermline
• Rachel House - CHAS—Dunfermline
• Holme C of E Primary School--Peterborough
• John Clare Trust--Peterborough
• Woodgreen Animal Shelter--Peterborough
• Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall--Peterborough
• Inverclyde Royal Hospital—Gourock
• Yorkshire Wildlife Trust—Doncaster
• Hemi Help—Doncaster
• Headlines—Doncaster
• Royal British Legion —Doncaster
• Rett—Doncaster
• Bedford Food Bank—Milton Keynes
• Luton Food Bank—Milton Keynes
• Bedford Day Care Centre Hospice—Milton Keynes
• St Johns Special School Association—Milton Keynes
• Peace Hospice—Hemel Hempstead
• Hope for Children—Hemel Hempstead
• Scouts Harpenden—Hemel Hempstead
• Childline--Cork
• Irish Kidney Association--Cork
• Laura Lynn Foundation Brothers of Charity--Cork
• Bumblebance--Cork
• Aware—Cork
• SWIPE—Slough
• Slough Environmental Education Development Service (SEEDS Trust) -- Slough
• Teenage Cancer Trust – Slough and London
• Starlight – Slough and London
• Parents and Children Together –Slough
• Aik Saath—Slough
• Creative Junction—Slough
• Great Ormond Street Hospital--London
• Staffordshire Wildlife Trust--Rugeley
• Compton Hospice Limited-- Rugeley
• Churchfield Primary School via St Augustine’s Church--Rugeley
• Y-Bont--Swansea
• Swansea MS Society--Swansea
• T-act Fostering--Swansea
• Isle of Ely Society For the Blind--Peterborough
• Deafblind Scotland--Gourock
• Greigarious-cas--Gourock
• The Haven Kilmacolm--Gourock
• St John’s Hospice--Doncaster
• Alzheimer’s Society-- Doncaster
• Conisborough Castle--Doncaster
• The Peace Hospice--Hemel Hempstead
• Roundwood Primary School-- Hemel Hempstead
• David Lewis Centre--Edinburgh
• Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research--Edinburgh
• Refuge--London
• National Migraine Centre--London
• Children’s Air Ambulance--Rugeley
• East Anglia Air Ambulance--Peterborough
• EACH--East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices--Peterborough
• Little Theatre--Doncaster
• School Partnership Trust Academies--Doncaster
• Doncaster Foodbank--Doncaster
• The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home--Edinburgh
• Macmillan Cancer Support--Edinburgh
• Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals Charity Trust--Slough
• Britwell Youth and Community Project--Slough
• Slough Mencap--Slough
• Thames Valley Positive Support (TVPS)--Slough
• Lily-Mae for SMA--Slough
• Family Friends, Windsor and Maidenhead--Slough
• Marie Curie--Slough
• East Berkshire Women’s Aid--Slough
• SHOC (Slough Homeless Our Concern)--Slough
• Volunteer Slough--Slough
• Wexham School--Slough
• Animal Sanctuary--Slough
• Slough Refugee Support--Slough
• Colwich Playgroup--Rugeley
• Midlands Air Ambulance--Rugeley
• Salvation Army Shop--Rugeley
• Birmingham Children’s Hospital Cancer Project--Rugeley
• Stafford & District Stroke Club--Rugeley
• The Cats Whiskers Rescue Centre--Rugeley
• Special Care Baby Unit at Singleton Hospital--Swansea
• RNLI--Swansea
• RSPC--Llys Nini--Swansea
• Auto Cycle Union Benevolent Fund--Dunfermline
• Black Watch Battalion ACF--Cadets--Dunfermline
• Lakelands Hospice--Peterborough
• Little Miracles--Peterborough
• The League of Hospital Friends Inverclyde--Gourock
• Downs Syndrome Scotland--Gourock
• Wentworth Castle Gardens--Doncaster
• Tree Top House--Doncaster
• Weston Park Hospital--Doncaster
• Search Dogs Buckinghamshire--Milton Keynes
• Billy’s Wish--Milton Keynes
• Friends Of The Earth--Milton Keynes
• Shine a Light Suicide Awareness--Cork
• Sonas School--Cork
• Scouting Ireland—Cork
• Our Lady of Peace Nursery--Slough
• Cippenham Infant School--Slough
• Samaritans--Slough
• Homestart--Slough
• Kingsmead Technology College--Rugeley
• Cannock Chase Miners Welfare Trust Fund Scheme--Rugeley
• The Hibbs Lupus Trust--Rugeley
• Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre--Rugeley
• Cancer Research Wales--Swansea
• Age Cymru Swansea Bay--Swansea
• Mencap Cymru--Swansea
• Dan Y Graig Primary School in Port Tennant--Swansea
• Bishop Vaughan Lower Comprehensive School in Morriston--Swansea
• Dunfermline Food Bank--Dunfermline
• Glenrothes Strollers FC--Dunfermline
• The Peterborough Soup Kitchen--Peterborough
• Exotic Pet Refuge--Peterborough
• Peterborough Age UK--Peterborough
• Inverclyde Foodbank--Gourock
• Tullochan--Gourock
• Macmillan Nurses via Explorer Scouts--Gourock
• Erskine Hospital--Gourock
• Craigmarloch--Gourock
• Sea Cadets--Gourock
• CRY--cardiac risk in the young--Doncaster
• Help for Heroes--Doncaster
• Aurora--Doncaster
• The Henry Allen Appeal--Milton Keynes
• Acorn Pre-School--Milton Keynes
• Disability Snowsport--Milton Keynes
• Hospice of St Francis--Hemel Hempstead
• Air Ambulance--Hemel Hempstead
• Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland--Edinburgh
• Guide Dogs UK--Edinburgh
• Barnardo’s Brighter Future in Knocknaheeny--Cork
• Irish Guide Dog Association--Cork
• Bantry first response--Cork
• Addaction--London
• Age UK Islington--London
• National Deaf Children's Society--London
• University of Edinburgh--Edinburgh
• The Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Centres Trust--Edinburgh
• Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service--Slough
• Thames Hospice Care--Windsor
• Sebastian’s Action Trust - Slough
• The Border Collie Trust--Birmingham
• Staffordshire Transplant Association Friends & Family--Staffordshire
• Healing the Wounds--Wales
• PTAWA--Enfys Foundations--Wales
• Sunday Mail Centenary Fund--Edinburgh
• Peterborough & Fenland Mind--Peterborough
• Wellington Children’s Centre--Glasgow
• Kayos Youth Centre--Glasgow
• Massabeille Group--Glasgow
• Tomorrow’s People--Glasgow
• Neo Natal Ward--Doncaster
• Eve Trust--Doncaster
• Yorkshire Air Ambulance--Doncaster
• Macmillan, Bedford branch--Milton Keynes
• Keech Hospice--Milton Keynes
• Samaritans--Milton Keynes
• The Lily Foundation--Hertfordshire
• Hinchley Wood Primary School--Hertfordshire
• Ballydehob Playgroup--Cork
• My Canine Companion--Cork
• Our Lady’s Children Hospital, Crumlin--Cork
• Special Effects--Slough
• Heathrow Special Needs Farm--Slough
• Childhood Bereavement Network--London
• Solar Aid--London
• Littledown Special School--Slough
• Slough Refugee Support--Slough
• Equinox Care--Slough
• Rajasthani Welfare Society--Slough
• Cancer Research UK--National
• Macmillan Cancer Support--National
• Great Ormond Street Hospital--London
• Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance--Berkshire
• Movember--Fight Prostate Cancer--National
• Slough Scout Hut--Slough
• Women’s refuge in Slough--Slough
• Restoring land for native plants and wildlife--Slough
• Slough Philharmonic Society--Slough
• Slough Foodbank--Slough
• YMCA--Slough
• Thames Care Hospice--Berkshire
• Breast Cancer Care--National
• Ardroy Activity Centre--Lochgoilhead, Scotland
• Cash for Kids--Scotland
• The Band--Scotland
• Bellyoeman Primary School--Dunfermline
• Broadstone Gardens Nursing Home, Inverclyde
• Sense, Scotland
• Ardgowan Hospice--Inverclyde
• Reach Autism--Greenock
• Stepwell--Scotland
• Maclehose Court Care Home--Greenock
• Follow Your Dreams--Pontyclun
• Goytre Action Plan--Port Talbot
• Llanelli Surf Lifesaving Club--Llanelli
• Swansea Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service--Swansea
• The Welsh Air Ambulance Service--Wales
• Tondu Rugby Club--Bridgend
• Rugeley and District Community First Responders--Rugeley
• Rugeley Open Space--Rugeley
• Katharine House Hospice--Rugeley
• Children In Need--National
• Comic Relief--National
• Willen Hospice--Milton Keynes
• UCL, Leukaemia & Lymphoma Charity Fund--National
• Home for Unwanted and Lost Animals (HULA) Animal Charity--Bedfordshire
• Deeping Rangers Football Club--Peterborough
• John Radcliffe Hospital--Oxfordshire
• Magpas, the emergency medical charity--Peterborough
• Oakdale Primary School--Peterborough
• Peterborough District Hospital, Children’s Ward--Peterborough
• Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care--Hertfordshire
• The Hospice of St Francis--West Hertfordshire
• DENS--Hemel Hempstead
• Mayflower Animal Sanctuary--Doncaster
• Bluebell Wood--Doncaster
• The Partially Sighted Society--Doncaster
• Scout Group--Doncaster
• Breast Cancer Awareness--National
• Jack and Jill Foundation--Co Kildare
• St Vincent de Paul--Ireland
• Edinburgh Zoo--Edinburgh
• Radio Lollipop (children’s hospital radio)--Edinburgh
• Byte Night, Action for Children--Edinburgh
• The Centre For All Families Positive Health (CAFPH)--Bedfordshire
• Tree of Hope--Jakes Dream Fund--National
• Jordan Houston Trust--East Lothian
• Simon Community--Ireland
• Cork Rape Crisis Centre--Cork
• Ty Hafan--Wales
• Victory Christian Centre--Rugeley
• Cannock Foodbank-–Rugeley
• Henry Chadwick School--Rugeley
• When You Wish Upon A Star--Rugeley
• Stroke Association--Swansea
• Discovery Student Volunteering--Swansea
• The Wallich--Swansea
• Crossroads Carers--Dunfermline
• Fund a wish Foundation--Dunfermline
• Fairways Fife--Dunfermline
• Bowhill Learning Centre--Dunfermline
• Dads rock – Fife Gingerbread--Dunfermline
• The Cottage--Dunfermline
• Rosyth Scout Group--Dunfermline
• Friends of Thorpe--Peterborough
• The Rudolf Fund--Peterborough
• The Peterborough Soup Kitchen--Peterborough
• MAGPAS--Peterborough
• The Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters--Gourock
• West Scotland Deaf Children Society--Gourock
• Greenock UTD--Gourock
• Clydescapes via Ardgowan Hospice--Gourock
• Macmillan Nurses--Gourock
• Hallam FM charities--Doncaster
• Trustam Radio for Hospital-–Doncaster
• M25 group-–Doncaster
• Samaritans-–Doncaster
• Bedford Day Care–-Milton Keynes
• Feline Cat Rescue–-Milton Keynes
• Chums-–Milton Keynes
• Hope for Children-–Hemel Hempstead
• The Collett School–-Hemel Hempstead
• Edinburgh Food Project–-Edinburgh
• Guide Dogs UK–-Edinburgh
• Irish Cancer Society--Oesophageal Cancer – Cork
• Share a Dream-–Cork
• Cork Simon Community–-Cork
• Slough Pit Stop–-Slough
• Slough Furniture Project (Homemaker)-–Slough
• Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust-–Rugeley
• St Giles Hospice-–Rugeley
• Combat Stress-–Swansea
• Hounds For Heroes-–Swansea
• Royal British Legion–-Swansea
• Fife Womens Aid-–Dunfermline
• Frontline Fife-–Dunfermline
• Bethany Christian Trust–-Dunfermline
• STAR--Dunfermline
• Bee Hive Pre-School-–Peterborough
• Peterborough Streets-–Peterborough
• Salvation Army-–Doncaster
• Save the Children-–Doncaster
• Martins Children’s Hospice-–Doncaster
• Bedford Food Bank--Milton Keynes
• Luton Food Bank--Milton Keynes
• Milton Keynes Food Bank--Milton Keynes
• Rennie Grove House-–Hemel Hempstead
• RRC-–Hemel Hempstead
• Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland--Edinburgh
• Dogs Trust--Edinburgh
• Ronald McDonald House--Cork
• Provincial Grand Masonic Lodge TLC--Cork
• Westminster Befriend a Family--London
• Slough Environmental Education Development Service (SEEDS Trust)-–Slough
• Dorney Animal Sanctuary--Slough
• John Hartson Foundation--Swansea
• Local Aid–-Swansea
• National Autistic Society–-Swansea
• CLLASP (Children with Cancer and Leukaemia: Advise and Support for Parents)--Dunfermline
• EACH - East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices–-Peterborough
• Alzheimers Scotland--Gourock
• Little Theatre–-Doncaster
• Bedford Hospital (Children’s Ward)-–Milton Keynes
• Luton Hospital (Children’s Ward)-–Milton Keynes
• Milton Keynes Hospital (Children’s Ward)-–Milton Keynes
• Cork Mercy Hospital--Cork
• Headstrong–-Cork
• Grace Nolan Foundation–-Cork
• National Deaf Children’s Society-–London

Donating Products with In Kind Direct

Amazon has surplus stock that is in perfect condition but for various reasons is unable to sell it. Amazon has worked with In Kind Direct, the UK charity that distributes surplus goods from manufacturers and retailers to UK charities working at home and abroad, since 2009. The majority of this stock has been redistributed to over 1,300 of In Kind Direct’s partner charities and smaller voluntary organisations. They represent every kind of cause – children, sickness and disability, family welfare, homelessness, emergency relief, community development and job skills and training.

Ajay Kavan, vice president of Consumables at Amazon.co.uk Ltd was appointed to the board of In Kind Direct in late 2012.

Find out more about our relationship with In Kind Direct.

Charities that have received Amazon surplus stock through In Kind Direct.

About In Kind Direct

In Kind Direct redistributes surplus goods from manufacturers and retailers to UK charities working at home and abroad.

Since foundation in 1996, In Kind Direct has redistributed £130 million in value of goods from 900 companies. Over 6,300 voluntary and community organisations have received products via In Kind Direct, helping millions of people in need.

Visit http://www.inkinddirect.org for more information.

Donating Technology

Supporting Comic Relief

Now in its 28th year, Comic Relief raised £75 million in 2013 and was supported by Amazon, which donated some of the technology needed to run the online donation platform during the Red Nose Day TV event. Large events such as Comic Relief require a significant investment in technology resources to support the influx of traffic they see to their websites and donation platforms. Traditionally this would mean the event organisers would need to invest vast amounts of capital in obtaining the technology required to handle a spike in public interest for the day of the event, which would then likely remain idle until the same time the next year when the event runs again.

Phil Latham, Head of Future Media and Technology at Comic Relief, commented: "The flexible and elastic nature of AWS [Amazon Web Services] was central to the delivery of our donations platform used during Red Nose Day. AWS allowed us to scale up many key elements of our infrastructure to support the UK's largest fundraising event in what was a record year for Comic Relief."

Supporting In Kind Direct

In Kind Direct redistributes surplus goods from manufacturers and retailers to UK charities working at home and abroad.

Like any 21st century organisation, In Kind Direct’s webpage is its window on the world. It is the point where most people first have an interaction with the charity and it supports 25,000 visits per month. As the need for In Kind Direct’s service has increased dramatically over the last few years, so has the traffic to its website. As a result it had outgrown its current hosting solution and urgently needed to find a new home for the site to meet the immediate and future needs of its operation. Amazon has provided a two-year grant for In Kind Direct’s website hosting.

Supporting Stand Up To Cancer

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is an established initiative in the US, which utilises the entertainment industry to create awareness and build public support for cancer research. In October 2012, Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK joined forces to launch Stand Up To Cancer in the UK and accelerate groundbreaking research. Stars from TV, film and music came together with the UK public for an unforgettable night of fundraising live on Channel 4. The six-hour programme, the UK’s first ever live fundraiser for cancer research, raised over £8m, funding 12 new clinical trials, each of which could result in a life-saving new test or treatment for cancer.

Large events such as telethons require a significant investment in technology resources to support with the influx of traffic they see to their websites and donation platforms. Traditionally this would mean the event organisers would need to invest vast amounts of capital in obtaining the technology required to handle a spike in public interest for the day of the event that would then likely remain idle until the same time the next year when the event runs again. In some cases the technology is never used again at all, meaning wasted investments.

Charity events like SU2C are a great use case for cloud computing as the flexible and elastic nature of the cloud means the technology infrastructure can scale up, on demand, as it is required, which avoids wasted investment and under forecasting which can lead to disappointed users. To support SU2C, Amazon provided cloud hosting for the website associated with the event, free of charge. This meant SU2C had a technology infrastructure that could scale to meet the demand of viewers on the night. The free support offered by Amazon enabled more money to go towards raising funds and finding cures for cancer.

Tools for Non-Profit Organisations

Our technologies offer simple and effective ways for non-profit organisations to raise awareness, collect needed supplies and solicit funds. Amazon customers support thousands of non-profit organisations and worthy causes through features such as:

Amazon Wish Lists can expand a non-profit’s potential donor pool to Amazon’s millions of customers and offer a great way to ensure that they receive the right number of the exact items needed. Customers use the lists to find out what organisations truly need, and buying and shipping the items is fast and easy. Additionally, donors know they can depend on our patented payment technology to make their transactions safe and secure.
> How to set up a Wish List

Amazon Associates is Amazon's affiliate marketing programme. As Associates, organisations place links to Amazon products and services on their websites. For each purchase made through these links, the organisation earns up to 15% in referral fees from Amazon.co.uk. It's a great way for nonprofits to earn revenue without asking donors for direct contributions. Plus, donors know that each time they make a purchase through these links, they're helping their favourite non-profit organisation to benefit.
> How to join the Associates Programme

Support for Disaster Relief Programmes

In times of disaster, Amazon has dedicated placements on our homepage and donated use of our payments technology to the American Red Cross and Mercy Corps Worldwide. Amazon customers have contributed more than USD 35 million to global relief programmes since 2001. Thank you for your support.

2001: USD 6.9 million contributed for 9/11 relief in the US.
2004: USD 15.7 million contributed for tsunami relief in South and Southeast Asia.
2005: USD 12.4 million contributed for Hurricane Katrina relief in the US.
2008: USD 180,000 contributed for Cyclone Nargis relief in Myanmar and earthquake relief in China.
2010: More than USD 750,000 contributed for earthquake relief in Haiti.
2011: More than USD 1.8 million contributed for earthquake and tsunami relief in Japan.

Support for the Writing Community

A love of reading and an appreciation for the people who create great books is part of our DNA at Amazon.co.uk, which is why we are proud to support the creation, discussion, and publication of books.

Amazon.co.uk is the exclusive online partner for the Oxford Literary Festival featuring a dedicated Festival store and a wealth of content from Festival authors. The Festival, which is based at the college of Christ Church, Oxford, has since its foundation in 1998 grown to become one of the leading literary festivals with over 300 events, 400 authors and four other Oxford colleges. Festival-goers and book fans everywhere can now visit the dedicated Oxford Literary Festival store on Amazon.co.uk.

Around the World

For examples of the support that we provide for non-profit organisations around the world, visit:

• United States: Amazon.com
• Canada: Amazon.ca
• Germany: Amazon.de. This page is in German.
• France: Amazon.fr. This page is in French.
• Spain: Amazon.es. This page is in Spanish.
• Italy: Amazon.it. This page is in Italian.
• Japan: Amazon.jp. This page is in Japanese.