Established in 1979 due to a lack of social outlets and support for people with mental health problems, Darlington Mind has grown substantially over the last 40 years. The branch covers Darlington, South Durham, Hambleton & Richmondshire, and offers a wide range of recovery support services to hundreds of people every year.
For 40 years, Butterwick Hospice has supported local people and communities across the regions of Teesside and County Durham. The hospice provides holistic care for children and adults living with a life-limiting illness, as well as support for their families and loved ones.
St Teresa’s Hospice provides palliative and end-of-life care and support in South Durham & North Yorkshire. The focus of the hospice’s work is entirely on enhancing the quality of life and helping people to live with their illness, as comfortably as possible.
The donations came from the Amazon fulfilment centre in Darlington. In addition, 15 employees volunteered at Butterwick Hospice, lending their gardening skills to refresh the Children’s Hospice Garden. Filled with specialist equipment that makes play accessible to those with specific or additional needs, the garden also provides quiet spaces which offer calm and peace to the children and their families.
Katie Sadler, Head of Corporate and Community Development at Butterwick Hospice said: "We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the team at Amazon in Darlington for their support, both in generously offering their time to transform our garden and through their kind donation.
“Our courtyard garden is a special place for our patients, families, and staff, but it was in need of a refresh. Having the Amazon team on board to help bring it back to life has been wonderful. Their support means a great deal to our hospice, and we are deeply grateful for their continued commitment.”
McKenzie Sacchet, General Manager at Amazon in Darlington, said: “We’re proud to have been able to support three very worthwhile charities in the Darlington area, that make such a difference for people at crucial periods of their lives.”
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. The Junction Multibank opened this year, with Middlesbrough charity The Junction. The initiative has donated more than 5 million surplus goods to over 500,000 families across Wales, Scotland, Greater Manchester, London, and Tees Valley.
Amazon has supported more than one million 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.