A MEMBER of staff at Amazon's Tilbury fulfilment centre has made a £5,000 donation to a Special Educational Needs (SEN) trust after winning a national competition to design a festive postcard.

Erzsebet Kovacs, who works as an associate at Tilbury, designed the winning postcard in a competition run across Amazon's UK sites. The competition is part of a longstanding partnership with the charity Magic Breakfast.

Erzsebet created her entry as an acrylic painting on canvas after developing a new love for art during lockdown. Erzsebet started painting when she was furloughed from her previous job as a printing finisher for four months due to COVID-19. She was searching for a creative activity to help pass the time and found painting helped her feel positive.

For winning the competition, Erzsebet could select the recipient of the £5,000 donation and she opted for SEN Trust Southend. Alongside the £5,000, Erzsebet's win will see her postcard included in boxes of breakfast food that will be delivered to families across the UK by Magic Breakfast in the run-up to Christmas.

Magic Breakfast, an Amazon UK charity partner since 2016, provides healthy breakfasts to children in disadvantaged areas of the UK to combat food poverty.

When schools shut earlier this year due to COVID-19, Amazon worked with Magic Breakfast to deliver food parcels directly to the doorsteps of thousands of children around the UK. Amazon has now delivered two million meals to vulnerable children across the UK this year.

The festive card competition challenged Amazon team members and their families to design a festive-themed postcard. Entries were judged on inclusion of festive elements, positive messages, creativity, inclusivity and appropriateness for all audiences. Erzsebet's winning design features a wintery village scene.

Erzsebet said: "I absolutely love the festive season and I can't believe my card has won the competition! I'm excited for my card to be sent to families around the country as part of the Magic Breakfast deliveries and it's great to make the donation to SEN Trust Southend. It's a brilliant trust that provides such a good start for young people in our community."

Jackie Mullan, CEO of SEN Trust Southend, said: "We want to say a big thank you to Erzsebet for choosing us as the recipient of her grand prize – it will help us continue to offer the best possible learning experiences for our pupils. We are incredibly grateful for this kindness."

Carlos Guijarro Benito, Site Leader at Amazon in Tilbury, added: "Everyone at Amazon in Tilbury is proud of Erzsebet and we all send our congratulations to her. We were so pleased to hear that the national winner was one of our own here at Amazon in Tilbury and are sure that the postcard will put a smile on many people's faces this festive season."