Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge volunteers at Secret World Wildlife Rescue are celebrating after receiving a huge donation from Amazon.
A Bristol-based environmental enthusiast who works at the Amazon delivery station in Avonmouth has been named as the winner of the company’s Community Think Big Award for her environmental programmes.
Louise Watkin, a senior programme manager at Amazon, has won the award after creating a system for Amazon to donate surplus equipment from its offices and fulfilment centres to schools, homeless shelters and foodbanks across the region and beyond.
Louise won the award after coming out on top against more than 1,400 nominees across 21 countries in Amazon’s inaugural Global Amazon Gives Awards.
As part of her prize, Amazon has donated almost £8,000 between two wildlife rescue and conservation charities that Louise nominated. The donations were made to Avon Wildlife Trust and Secret World Wildlife Rescue, based in East Huntspill near Highbridge.
Louise says: “I’ve always had an interest in sustainability and recycling, and it’s been my passion since joining Amazon to advance the company’s processes on that front.”
“A lot of amazing organisations across Bristol and beyond are always in need of support, so I worked with Amazon to create an online platform where an organisation can choose surplus items we have that they need, to be given by Amazon free of charge.”
“We arrange for the transportation and donation of these items, and it means that they go to good use while contributing to a more circular economy.”
Since Louise created this process, Amazon has donated surplus equipment to more than 160 local charities.
“The process has been really impactful for organisations in need and I’m so glad Amazon can support in a sustainable way,” she says.
Secret World Wildlife Rescue provides care for sick, injured or orphaned wildlife across the region and rehabilitates the animals for release back into the wild. The donation from Amazon will be used to host educational workshops for children to visit the charity and build hedgehog houses. The charity will also visit local schools to raise awareness about wildlife and conservation.
Speaking on the donations, Louise adds: “I’m so pleased Amazon has donated to two charities that mean so much to me. Both charities have such a positive impact on wildlife and conservation throughout Bristol and Somerset, which is something I’m hugely passionate about.”
David Plant at Secret World Wildlife says: “We would like to say a huge thank you to Louise and the team at Amazon for their donation. Each year we rescue around 5,000 animals and advise the public on over 12,000 calls, which wouldn’t be possible without donations like this.”
The donations follow Amazon’s £2.8 million commitment to the Woodland Trust and London Wildlife Trust from its Right Now Climate Fund, which will help plant over 450,000 trees across six UK local authorities and support more than 20 critical rewilding projects across London.
