Simon, who has been with Amazon for almost two years and worked on the development of the new Dublin fulfilment centre, is a passionate supporter of the Edenderry community in his spare time. It’s this support, which includes his dedication to rescuing animals in need and supporting shelters with his handyman skillset, that has seen Simon receive a nomination in the Amazon Stars awards programme.

Amazon Stars is a campaign that recognises and rewards Amazon employees who make an outstanding contribution to the local community by using their skills, time and knowledge to help others.

Simon’s support of his community means he could win one of three Dream Boxes – the top prize awarded as part of the Amazon Stars programme. A Dream Box, worth up to €2,000, is a personalised prize to honour Amazon’s community heroes. Simon will find out in the coming weeks if he has won a Dream Box.

Rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming unwanted, neglected and abused animals

Simon was nominated for the award by his colleagues for his dedication to and support of My Lovely Horse Rescue, an animal welfare organisation.

Having worked as an automation engineer for over 10 years and being a qualified woodworker, Simon is able to help at the rescue centre in a variety of ways. He not only lends a hand with caring for the animals, but also with the maintenance of the charity’s facilities. Simon has assisted in the construction of barns, kennels and other amenities, and has also been able to aid the charity with the rescue of horses by making use of his towing license and trailer.

Speaking after learning of his nomination in this year’s awards, Simon said: “I am so pleased to have been nominated by my colleagues for an Amazon Star award – it has come as a huge surprise to me.

“I didn’t grow up around animals, but as I started to rescue some of my own, the love of caring for animals, rescuing them and supporting animal welfare organisations grew. There really is no better feeling than securing a safe and loving home for an animal in need and providing a family with a fantastic pet that will give them a lot of love and great memories. As someone who never thought of owning a pet, I now share eight horses, four donkeys and 26 dogs with my family and we have no intention of slowing down any time soon.”

Simon added: “I really enjoy working with animals, but it also brings me great reward to be able to put my career expertise to use outside of work and for a great cause. Amazon has supported me to volunteer for animal shelters through offering flexible shift patterns, meaning I can adjust my working week to do some charity work. This flexibility means that I can fully commit to being around for the charities and they know they can count on me. I really appreciate this, as do the charities I assist and the other volunteers I work with. They’re big fans of the fact my career has prepared me to deal with all kinds of maintenance jobs too!”

What’s next for Simon? “I plan to continue my work supporting My Lovely Horse Rescue and other animal welfare charities in any way that I can,” he said. “I encourage anyone interested to get involved with their local shelter – there’s no feeling like it.”

Amazon Dublin General Manager, Darragh Kelly, added: “The Amazon Stars programme is our way of saying thank you to our colleagues who go above and beyond to have a positive impact on the community. Simon does some incredible work with supporting animal rescue charities and community organisations in Edenderry and everyone at Amazon in Dublin is proud of him. Simon is fully deserving of this fantastic nomination, and I wish him the best of luck ahead of the big reveal of this year’s winners.”

Previous winners

Last year, the three winners were: Aizaz Hussain, a spoken-word artist who dedicates his time and his art to helping people with mental health struggles; Phil Hayden, a dedicated NHS volunteer who has also made more than 600 blood donations over the past 36 years; and Richard Burtenshaw, a community children’s football coach who found creative ways of keeping the players active during lockdown.

Amazon provides competitive pay, excellent benefits and a modern, safe and engaging work environment for its employees. Amazon pays all full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees in Dublin a minimum of €13.50 per hour. Employees are also offered a comprehensive benefits package including include private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount as well as a company pension plan.

Anyone can find out more about what it’s like to work at an Amazon fulfilment centre by signing up for a virtual tour at amazonfctours.com. People interested in applying for jobs at Amazon should visit Amazon Jobs.