Wales rugby legend Sam Warburton surprised pupils at a Swansea school when he made a special visit to a rugby lesson to deliver a donation of new kits.
The rugby kits included shirts, shorts and rugby balls, and were donated to Cefn Hengoed Community School by Canterbury and Amazon in partnership with Cwtch Mawr, Wales’s first Multibank, which is run by Swansea charity Faith in Families, with support from former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Amazon.
The Cwtch Mawr Multibank is a community donations hub, offering support to families experiencing poverty across Swansea. It provides surplus essentials, such as hygiene products, household essentials, school uniforms, and bedding donated by businesses, like Amazon, directly to those in need. The products are redistributed via the lead charity partner, Faith in Families, to schools, charity groups, and care professionals who give them directly to people in need.
Iestyn Cullen, a pupil from Cefn Hengoed Community School, said:
“It was so cool to meet Sam in person, my friends and I are huge rugby fans. We enjoyed getting some rugby tips from him and we’re all excited to play in our new kits.”
Ian Brooks at Cefn Hengoed Community School, added:
“Our pupils are passionate about sports, and it was great that Sam surprised them with their rugby lesson. On behalf of the pupils, thank you to Amazon, Canterbury and the team at Cwtch Mawr for these kits. They’ll really benefit our pupils.”
Sam Warburton said:
“It’s been fantastic to support the young people of Swansea with this donation. It was a pleasure surprising pupils and meeting the talent of tomorrow. Cwtch Mawr is a fantastic organisation that is helping support families across Wales.”
Cherrie Bija, Chief Executive of Faith in Families, added:
“Many parents face challenges in affording sports kits, and donations like this to Cwtch Mawr make a significant difference in our Swansea communities. Thanks to Canterbury and Amazon for their generous contribution. This support will enable more young people to experience the joy of playing rugby, stay fit, actively participate, and feel included. It’s wonderful to collaborate together in such a compassionate way.”
Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates. Amazon co-founded the Multibank initiative with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families in need. ‘Cwtch Mawr’ Multibank opened in Swansea this year, with Faith in Families. The initiative has donated more than 5 million surplus goods to over 500,000 families across Wales, Scotland, Greater Manchester, London, and Tees Valley.
Amazon has supported more than one million students across the UK with free STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good.
Amazon partners with Comic Relief and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose. Together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon has raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people across the UK, and around the world.
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