By supporting future engineering talent, strengthening communities and backing innovative solutions, we can help improve lives while contributing to the resilience and long-term success of the industries and communities we serve."
LONDON, UK, 24 September 2026 – RS Group plc (LSE: RS1), a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, has today launched its £5 million Better World Fund.
Backed by an ambition to invest £5 million between 2026 and 2030, the Better World Fund aims to create positive and lasting change for people, communities and industry through a coordinated global framework that brings together key social impact initiatives from across the business.
The Better World Fund directly supports RS Group's purpose of making amazing happen for a better world and aligns with the Group's strategy and 2030 ESG action plan, particularly its commitment to championing youth and communities worldwide.
The fund will focus on three areas where RS can make the greatest difference: championing the Engineers of Tomorrow, strengthening communities worldwide, and supporting innovative solutions that improve lives, as it aims to:
- Inspire one million young people by 2030 through STEM education, engineering experiences and skills development.
- Increase colleague volunteering to 50% participation by 2030, helping strengthen communities worldwide.
- Raise £1 million for SolarAid and improve 150,000 lives by 2028 through access to clean, safe solar light across sub-Saharan Africa.
- Create opportunities for colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners to work together to deliver meaningful and measurable impact.
Through the fund, RS will help inspire and develop future generations of engineers and innovators by creating access to funding, products and real-world learning experiences. By investing in initiatives such as Hackathons and support for Formula Student, RS is helping develop the future talent our industry needs, supporting STEM education, skills development initiatives, technical competitions and opportunities that help young people build the confidence and practical experience needed for future careers.
The framework will also strengthen support for local communities through charitable giving, volunteering, fundraising and market-led initiatives that address local needs. By combining global ambition with local action, colleagues around the world will have more opportunities to contribute to causes that matter to them and their communities.
In addition, the Better World Fund expands support for our global charity partner to progress innovative engineering solutions that tackle real-world challenges. RS Group’s partnership with SolarAid aims to improve access to clean, safe solar light in rural communities across sub-Saharan Africa and positively impact 150,000 people by 2028.
The new framework provides greater consistency in how RS communicates and measures its social impact activities, and demonstrates the value created for young people, communities, customers, partners and wider society. It will also strengthen the connection between social impact, industry skills development, and long-term sustainable growth.
Jen Scarlett, Head of Social Impact, says: "Creating a better world has always been at the heart of what we do. The RS Better World Fund brings our people, products, expertise and partnerships together under one shared commitment, enabling us to build on the strong work already happening across our business and create greater collective impact.
By supporting future engineering talent, strengthening communities and backing innovative solutions, we can help improve lives while contributing to the resilience and long-term success of the industries and communities we serve."
The Better World Fund reflects RS Group's values of being one team, doing the right thing and delivering brilliantly to make every day better, while creating new opportunities for colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners to contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive future.
More information about our key social impact initiatives and our 2030 ambition can be found in our Championing Youth & Communities section.
Note: RS Better World Fund is an ambition to invest £5m between 2026-2030, subject to business performance.