A Markfield animal sanctuary has received a £4,000 donation from the team at Amazon's head office in London.

The donation was made to Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary, a charity that rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes a variety of animals in need, offering visitation for the public and the opportunity to adopt.

It is a charity that specialises in the treatment and care of a range of animals including cats, kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens and ducks.

The donation from Amazon will go towards vet treatment, neutering, vaccinations, food and prescribed food, bedding and cleaning products.

Niki Ward, Employee Volunteering Lead, Amazon in the Community, said: "We are really pleased to be supporting Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary and its efforts to care for and rehome animals in need.

"We hope this donation helps support the work done by the charity's staff and volunteers."

The team at Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary added: "On behalf of the team at Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary, I want to thank Amazon for this donation. We aim to positively impact the animals in our community and to do that, we rely heavily on donations, supporters and volunteers.

"It's great to have our efforts recognised and supported by Amazon."

The donation forms part of Amazon's Volunteer Cash Donation Programme, where Amazon employees nominate local causes where they volunteer their time, to receive a cash donation from the company. 

In September, Amazon employees got together for Amazon's Global Month of Volunteering, an initiative that aims to help the communities where they live and work. In collaboration with hundreds of community organisations around the world, Amazon employees participated and led in-person and virtual volunteering opportunities to support causes they're passionate about.

"In September, we came together to help some incredible organisations who are making a real difference in the areas where our employees live and work," said John Boumphrey, Amazon UK Country Manager. "It was fantastic to see our employees sharing their ideas and tapping into their passions to give back to our local communities."

Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities in and around its operating locations across the UK. Amazon provides students, teachers and parents with free computer science and STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and has teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than seven million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas of the country.

Earlier this year, Amazon partnered with Comic Relief to become the official home of the Red Nose. Amazon employees across the UK hosted fundraising activities and together with their customers and partners, raised £2.7 million to support those going through the toughest time of their lives.