Driven by Community: Desmond Motors Wins Ford Award
How Desmond Motors turned a day of test drives into £6,000 for Foyle Search and Rescue — and earned national recognition from Ford
Desmond Motors has won the Ford Building Together Award at the 2026 Ford Dealer Marketing Awards, recognising a community initiative that brought motorists, volunteers and lifesaving work together on the banks of the River Foyle.
The award was presented at the Henry Ford Academy in Daventry, where the Northern Ireland family-run dealership was honoured for its “Drive for Your Community” event, delivered in partnership with Foyle Search and Rescue.
A test drive with a purpose
For one day in June, Foyle Search and Rescue’s base in Prehen, Derry~Londonderry, became an unusual kind of showroom. Instead of asking visitors to come to a dealership, Desmond Motors brought a range of Ford vehicles directly to the charity, inviting members of the public to experience the cars while supporting an organisation rooted in the local community.
The idea was simple: for every completed test drive, Ford would donate £30 to Foyle Search and Rescue, up to a maximum of £6,000. The response surpassed the target. By the end of the event, 245 test drives had been completed in vehicles including the Kuga, Capri, Puma, Mustang Mach-E and Ranger, securing the full donation.
The day was about more than reaching a fundraising total. It created an opportunity for hundreds of people to meet the volunteers, learn about the charity’s work and see the specialist equipment used when its teams respond to emergencies along the River Foyle.
Inside a 24-hour lifeline
Foyle Search and Rescue is powered by volunteers and operates a 24-hour emergency response. Its work combines suicide prevention support with rapid, lifesaving assistance along the river — a mission that often unfolds away from public view.
During the event, more than 450 members of the public gained an insight into that work. The Desmond Motors team based itself in a next-generation Ford Transit Custom Nugget camper van, transforming the vehicle into an office for the day while the charity opened a window onto the preparation and equipment behind its emergency missions.
Recognition built on local roots
For Desmond Motors, the Ford Building Together Award carries particular meaning. The dealership describes itself as Northern Ireland’s largest family-run Ford dealership and has served the North West for more than 60 years. The winning event placed those longstanding community connections at the centre of a national dealer-marketing stage.
“Desmond Motors has been part of the community in the North West for more than 60 years, and giving back locally is hugely important to us.”
Jonathan Ferguson, Ford Sales Manager at Desmond Motors, said it was a great honour to receive the recognition. He described “Drive for Your Community” as a rewarding way to raise both awareness and funds for Foyle Search and Rescue, while highlighting the vital suicide prevention and lifesaving work carried out by its volunteers.
“I am incredibly proud of the Desmond Motors team, whose efforts made the event such a success.”
That success can be measured in the £6,000 raised, the 245 test drives completed and the hundreds of people introduced to the charity’s work. But the award also reflects something less easily counted: a local business using its reach, vehicles and people to bring attention to a service that is there for the community around the clock.
A growing Northern Ireland presence
Desmond Motors operates four dealerships across Belfast, Derry/L’Derry and Omagh. Its Boucher Road premises has established itself as a destination for vehicle servicing, maintenance and repairs, providing care for cars and vans of all makes and models through skilled technicians, modern workshop facilities and a customer-first approach.
The Building Together Award now adds another chapter to the dealership’s story — one shaped not only by the vehicles it sells and services, but by the role it continues to play in the communities it serves.
For more information, visit www.desmondmotors.co.uk.
