Investing locally strengthens and enriches communities, and Russell Shepcar, CEO of The DR Group is delighted give back to a place which captivated him and his wife, Daiva in 1999.

DR Group has become title sponsor to local award-winning enterprise MADE in Mourne, sponsoring £10,000 to inspire, enable and grow entrepreneurship in Mourne, with a shared focus and vision on community wealth building. The social enterprise, which has recently be named ‘Rural Social Enterprise of the Year’, provides facilities, knowledge, and support for local entrepreneurs in the rural coastal Mourne region to launch and sustainably grow their businesses.

Russ Shepcar states:

“Both DR Group and MADE in Mourne hold a shared vision to create a richer community; providing more opportunity in the area of Mourne. We welcomed the chance to become a headline sponsor in our effort to build a better future for the area. With a strong local workforce at DR Group, we recognise and appreciate the talented, hard-working people from the area, with 70% of our workforce being from here.”

Jenna Stevenson, founder and CEO of MADE in Mourne speaks of the newly launched sponsorship, “the generous support from DR Group will enable us to keep our doors open whilst continuing to create opportunities. We have built the MADE in Mourne brand and model to where it is today, but to be able to continue and take it to the next level, business sponsorship is required. This will in turn create the opportunities we need, in the provision of a platform for our local makers, creatives and entrepreneurs. The reality of the increased cost of living has affected our local high street, and in turn, entrepreneurial journeys”, Jenna tells us.

This notable gesture of goodwill is a promise to the area, holding strong belief that entrepreneurship is a key element to make local community thrive. Since setting it’s anchor in Kilkeel over 20 years go, The DR Group has recognised the importance of investing in local communities, with beneficiaries spanning across An Riocht GAC, Dunnaman Football Club Kilkeel and local Ulster Superbike racers Lee Chambers, Barry Graham and Carl Phillips, with Both Carl(finished 7th) and Barry (finished 10th) competing in their maiden North-West 200 Road Race in 2022. Barry will be hoping for a his maiden podium finish in 2023 riding a bespoke DR Racing bike, built for him by the legendary MICHAEL DUNLOP RACING LTD.

DR Group are the UK’s largest privately owned Guard & Utility fleet. The company provides industry leading vessels, people, tech and operating procedures, with ambitious growth plans to seek out sustainability through innovation. Get in touch with the company at https://thedrgroup.co.uk/

(Pictured l-r: Laura KingJenna StevensonRussell & Daiva Shepcar)