Amazon Knowsley reaches top spot for volunteering hours amongst Amazon UK sites

The site reached the top spot for having the highest percentage of its workforce (over a third) participating in volunteering in relation to headcount. The site is also the top Amazon building in the UK for unique volunteers.

Since January, the Amazon Knowsley team has donated over 1,200 hours of volunteering to charities in Knowsley, Kirkby, Prescot, Liverpool and internationally through virtual activities.

Amazon in the UK offers employees paid volunteer days to give back to communities, allowing team members to make a positive difference by organising joint or individual efforts for causes that inspire them.

The Knowsley team has volunteered virtually, off site and on site for organisations focused on the environment, education, food insecurity and more.

Team members have committed over 1,200 hours so far this year to providing logistics support to staff and volunteers at Knowsley Foodbank and maintaining The Eco Therapy Garden in Kirkby. These initiatives will continue weekly throughout the rest of 2024.

Virtual volunteering at Amazon in Knowsley accounts for 40% hours of the site’s total so far. A pilot programme designed to overcome barriers to volunteering, like working nightshifts, allows employees to engage with organisations across the globe, at any time of day. Organisations supported by the team virtually include Translators without Borders, Raspberry Pi, Humanitarian OpenStreetMap, Instant Wild and Coolest Projects.

Tom Allen, Site Leader at Amazon in Knowsley, said:

“I am extremely proud of this achievement, which reflects the commitment of my Amazon colleagues to give back to the community around us and look further afield to see how their skills can benefit others.”

Peter Hopkins, an employee from Amazon in Knowsley who volunteers at Knowsley Foodbank, added:

“I’m pleased to work at a company that values charity work and fostering relationships with other organisations. It’s amazing having opportunities built into my work schedule to volunteer, that suit my work pattern and interests. I love having a chance to actively contribute to my area, exercise my skills and broaden my horizons. It’s wonderful that so many of my colleagues are also joining in and I can’t wait for more initiatives.”

Antonia Bell from Knowsley Foodbank, said:

“On behalf of everyone at Knowsley Foodbank, I want to say thank you to the team from Amazon for the practical help they’ve been to us over the past few months. 1 in 5 people in the UK live below the poverty line, so having a few extra pairs of hands in our part of the country is a huge help to use as we reach people in need. Amazon’s continued support throughout the year is hugely appreciated.”

Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates. Amazon co-founded the Multibank initiative with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families in need. ‘Brick-by-Brick’ Multibank opened in Wigan in 2023, with The Brick. The Multibank network has donated more than 4 million surplus goods to over 400,000 families across Greater Manchester, Scotland, Wales, and London.

Amazon has supported more than 700,000 students across the UK with free STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good.

Amazon partners with Comic Relief and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose. Together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon has raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people across the UK, and around the world.