RS, a trading brand of RS Group plc (LSE: RS1), a global omni-channel provider of product and service solutions, converted a space at its headquarters to enable its employees to volunteer to build washing machines as part of it social impact partnership with The Washing Machine Project – a global charity that combines innovation and sustainable engineering to provide displaced and low-income communities with an accessible and affordable manual crank, off-grid washing machine.
This is the second year of a three-year partnership for RS Group, and, over a nine-week period, employees will build 30 washing machines: 27 for Uganda, including fror an orphanage, and three to homeless shelters in the United States. Within the RS project complex is also a tent to enable employees to experience the back-breaking nature of the task of handwashing clothes that refugees, and other communities without facilities, face.
Over the summer, 390 employees volunteered to take part and support this initiative. This will be taken from the volunteer days that RS employees are given as paid leave each calendar year – which they can use to support any charity or cause they wish. In addition to the volunteer support, RS is providing its own brand, RS PRO products, at cost price – as, of the 115 parts required to build the latest version of the washing machine, 88 parts are from the RS PRO product range. These are products that are installed inside the washing machine, such as fixtures and gears.
Emma Botfield, RS UK&I Managing Director, is one of the RS employees taking part in this initiative. She said:
“We’re delighted by the take up by our employees of the opportunity to use their volunteer days to support this worthwhile initiative. We feel that by facilitating an initiative like this on-site at our RS UK headquarters, it makes it easier for our people to get involved, use their volunteer days, and make a huge impact.
“Being in a partnership with TWMP enables us to empower our people – something we’re very passionate about. It’s our ambition to inspire at least 50% of our colleagues to volunteer to support their communities and build new skills. We believe this is important for their wellbeing, as volunteering is recognised as an activity that helps mental wellbeing by providing a sense of purpose and accomplishment through giving back to a good cause. I’ve personally felt very privileged and humbled by the experience, and will be truly excited for RS to hand over the finished washing machines to the communities that need them.”
In addition to this project, £5,000 raised by employees at RS’s Nuneaton distribution centre has enabled TWMP to purchase a further 10 washing machines, including ongoing maintenance, as part of a four-stage plan to support refugees in Poland and Ukraine.
The RS Give as You Earn scheme also allows employees to make regular or one-off donations directly from their salary to TWMP and other charities. The amount chosen to donate is taken pre-tax, costing employees less to give to their chosen causes.
Nav Sawhney, Founder of TWMP, said:
“We’re truly grateful for the partnership support from RS. TWMP Foundation is a grant-funding charity, and without this kind of support, we would not be able to provide these grants that help individuals or organisations undertake research, development, and deployment of practical solutions to everyday problems. Our aim is to improve the lives of communities affected by poverty, conflict, or natural disasters throughout England and Wales but also across other key areas around the world.”
Emma added:
“We are incredibly fortunate to have a workforce who are so proactive when it comes to fundraising. There have been many fundraising activities taking place over this last year, such as bake sales, personal challenges, team challenges and even a learning ‘lending library’ to raise funds for TWMP. We’re proud of our employee efforts in fundraising for this, and other worthwhile causes.”
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