Lidl backs new base for Mourne Mountain Rescue

The site, located at Shan Slieve Drive and Bryansford Road, is at the foot of the Mourne Mountains and will offer Mourne MRT the space needed to develop a new facility to secure the service for the future.

Mourne MRT is a voluntary organisation made up of members of the local community and co-ordinated 44 rescues last year, making it the busiest team in Northern Ireland.

“Back in 2016, a young boy from Newcastle called Nathan Pierson put the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team on our radar when he was nominated for a Lidl Community Works Local Hero award for his fundraising efforts for the team,” said Lidl regional director Conor Boyle.

“When a representative from Mourne MRT was in our Newcastle store submitting a nomination for Nathan, they spoke with our planner who was carrying out a public consultation for the new development and mentioned that they were searching for a new base in the area.

“Since then, both teams have collaborated extensively and we’re confident that the Mourne MRT will make fantastic use of the space on the site and continue to provide a service which benefits the entire local community.”

The news comes just weeks since the Mourne MRT was involved in the operation to bring more than 60 army cadets down from the Mournes when bad weather set in.

“As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations back in 2012, we announced our intention to seek a new base for Mourne MRT to operate from,” said spokesman Dave Goddard.

“This new base will give us the chance to lower our running costs and increase our capabilities to train more people from the local area who want to join the team.

“We are very fortunate to have an incredible level of support from the local community and we are confident that this new chapter in the history of Mourne MRT will be of enormous benefit to the whole area.”