By Lisa Ramsden
Work on the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team’s new base is set to begin next month. After a 14-year campaign, the local rescue charity has confirmed that construction on its much-anticipated station in Newcastle will commence on 15 September. With a projected build time of 34 weeks, the team expects the state-of-the-art base to be operational by next May.
The site, which has been gifted to the team, is located adjacent to the town’s new Lidl store. The Mourne Mountain Rescue Team is keen to highlight that the new building would not have been possible without major support and financial backing from the local community. Since launching a public fundraising appeal just last year to help bridge the gap in construction costs, the community rallied together, contributing what the team has described as a “phenomenal” £750,000 to date.
Having launched the appeal for support in May 2024, the team says it is “truly humbled” by the public’s generosity. Recently, they also signed a 999-year lease with Lidl, and members are now thrilled to say, “we’re the proud owners of a building site.”
Providing a progress update on Tuesday, Martin McMullan, one of the team’s board members and a longstanding volunteer, noted that so far this calendar year, he and his fellow responders have already attended 35 call-outs.
Established in 1962, the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team was the first of its kind in Ireland. The organisation relies entirely on volunteers who respond in all weather conditions, 24 hours a day, to assist people in distress.
Read more coverage of this news story, and how the base will make things easier for the Rescue Team, in the current issue.
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