We were humbled to accept the 20th Anniversary Founder’s Award at the In Kind Direct Gala Dinner, held at Buckingham Palace. The award was presented by HRH The Prince of Wales to Doug Gurr our UK country manager, and Ajay Kavan, Vice President of International Special Projects, for our continued support and commitment to the charity.

Founded in 1996 by HRH The Prince of Wales, In Kind Direct distributes consumer goods donated by companies to UK charities working at home and overseas. They work with not-for-profit organisations and companies to help ensure that everyone has access to life's essentials and that no usable product goes to waste.

Through our work with In Kind Direct we have enabled thousands of mainly small, local charities operating in the UK and abroad to access an unprecedented range and value of products to support their vital work in disadvantaged communities.

Since we joined forces with In Kind Direct back in 2009, we have donated over 170,000 products worth over £4.5 million, and in 2017 alone we’re on track to donate £1.5 million in goods and 47,000 products to over 1,800 charities and voluntary organisations across the country.

The charities our donations have supported include: Mencap - Carrickfergus Junior Gateway, a group where young people with learning disabilities can socialise and learn life skills; Geeza Break, a charity helping parents who have suffered from alcohol/substance abuse; Caring for Animals 2001, a charity promoting the wellbeing of all animals.

As well as donating products, we have provided a range of support to In Kind Direct including advice and mentoring, logistics support, and cloud services from Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Robin Boles, CEO of In Kind Direct, said: “The growth in product donations from Amazon year on year has been enormous. It was our privilege to recognise Amazon at our Gala dinner this year, and I look forward to it growing our partnership further in the coming years.”

Our partnership with In Kind Direct forms part of our Amazon in the Community programme through which we aim to help children reach their potential by creating a positive learning environment for children, developing essential skills and empowering young people into their chosen career.

Click here for more information on our work with In Kind Direct.