For the past two years, Liverpool Live have partnered with Amazon to shed a spotlight on some of the brilliant community-focused employees who are committed to doing good for others.
During the festive season, Amazon Stars celebrates employees who have gone the extra mile throughout the year to deliver smiles to their colleagues and communities by using their unique skills and talents.
Amazon Stars recognises and rewards employees like Phil Hayden, who works at Amazon’s sortation centre in Haydock.
In 2021, Phil was nominated by his colleagues for his voluntary work, which includes regular blood donations to the NHS Manchester Blood Donor Centre. In total, Phil’s selfless service has led to nearly 700 donations of plasma and platelets to boost stock levels across NHS hospitals. Phil’s commitment to donating blood every four to five weeks, for the last 36 years, has also inspired many of his colleagues to give blood too.
“I do what I do to help those who need it most, and if I can inspire just one more person to donate blood then I have achieved my goal. I’m still truly grateful for the team at Haydock for nominating me,” said Phil.
Phil won a Dream Box – the top prize awarded as part of the programme – for his work in the community. His prize included a £2,000 travel voucher for a trip to Canada, which he took with his wife as part of their 25th wedding anniversary celebrations.
Speaking on the experience, Phil said: “25 years ago, my wife and I wanted to go to Canada for our honeymoon, but bad weather conditions put our plans on hold. Thanks to Amazon, we finally got to take our dream trip, and celebrated many happy years together at the same time.
“At the start of our trip, we flew to Seattle for the weekend and got to see the Amazon HQ and the Spheres. We then headed over the border into Canada and had a fabulous time in Vancouver, travelling through the Rocky Mountains. We spent a few days around Jasper National Park visiting Maligne Lake before finally heading down the Icefields Parkway through Jasper and Banff National Parks, where we saw many great things, including a couple of black bears.
“I want to say thank you to my Haydock colleagues and Amazon for making the trip happen.”
Following his trip to Canada, Phil continued his acts of community support by undertaking a 26-mile coastal walk to fundraise for Macmillan Cancer Support. Phil completed his hike for Macmillan Cancer Support in Northumberland as part of the charity’s ‘Mighty Hikes’ campaign, which take place in the most beautiful parts of the UK.
Phil completed the hike in July this year in under seven hours and placed ninth overall out of almost 2,000 finishers. In total, he raised £3,100 for the charity, over £2,000 above his original £1,000 target.
Amazon Stars
Throughout December, Liverpool Live will publish stories of Amazon employees like Phil who make a positive impact in their community through volunteering, fundraising and using their unique skills and talents to benefit others.
The global Amazon Stars initiative, which recognises employees for the talent and skills they use to support to their colleagues and local communities, is returning to the UK for the third year in 2022.
There are many touching stories about Amazon employees who go the extra mile to help others, which is why the company is celebrating these Amazon Stars and giving them the opportunity to shine.
Over the past two years, Phil and five other Amazon Stars have been awarded Dream Box prizes, and thousands more Amazon employees have been nominated by colleagues in recognition of their community efforts.
Previous winners from Amazon Stars 2021 include Aizaz Hussain, a spoken-word artist who dedicates his time and art to helping people with mental health struggles, and Richard Burtenshaw, a children’s football coach who found creative ways of keeping young people in the community active during lockdown. Aizaz and Richard’s efforts in supporting their communities saw them awarded with a Dream Box and this Christmas, three more Amazon employees will be awarded with a Dream Box prize. Stay tuned to hear more about the Amazon Stars in your community over the coming weeks.
