Durham volunteers support cancer charity
A charity offering a range of non-clinical services for people diagnosed with cancer, as well as their families, friends and carers, has been supported by volunteers from a business in Durham.
FACT (Fighting All Cancers Together) delivers education and awareness programmes to adults and children across the North East. The charity supports those suffering from cancer, cancer survivors, and their friends and families, giving them the opportunity to access services more easily, and more quickly, often at a time when speed and ease is essential.
Members of the team at Amazon in Durham recently volunteered at the charity’s Sunderland shop, with many offering up their time due to personal experiences and losses from cancer. During one of the volunteering sessions, the Amazon team learned more about how FACT supports people whose lives are touched by cancer.
One of the volunteers, Sid Storey, said: “It was incredibly moving – we went to volunteer at the charity shop to help sort out the many charitable donations received by FACT daily. They rely heavily on the donations but also struggle to make the time to sort through them due to the lack of volunteers.
Kerry Hiles-Garratt at FACT, added: “It was brilliant to welcome volunteers from Amazon in Durham to our Sunderland shop. While we sorted donations, we had some great conversations about the work we do at FACT and how we support all those touched by cancer.”
In the coming weeks, the charity will team up with Amazon in Durham to raise awareness of different cancers amongst its workforce. Since the most recent volunteering session, the team at FACT is planning breast cancer and prostate cancer awareness sessions at the Amazon Durham fulfilment centre.
Kate added: “We are grateful to Amazon for all their support and look forward to building on our engagement so far with awareness sessions for the staff in Durham.”
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.
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.