County Durham purpose-built DC online ahead of peak season. DPD has opened a new purpose-built distribution centre in County Durham, with the fully automated, 63,000ft^2 facility online ahead of Christmas. The distribution centre (DC) at Forrest Park, near Darlington, County Durham, is part of a multimillion-pound investment announcement in March last year. As such, the purpose-built state-of-the-art DC will significantly increase DPD's capacity in the North East to meet the ongoing demand for the firm's services. The new hub - located adjacent to Junction 59 of the A1(M) - has the potential to create up to 250 additional roles as DPD expands its operations in the region. The fully automated sortation facility will be capable of processing up to 50,000 parcels a day. With a plan to accommodate over 100 new delivery driver routes the operation has the capacity to carry on growing for a number of years. Developed to BREEAM Excellent standards, the facility reflects DPD's commitment to sustainable development and long-term environmental performance. Justin Pegg, DPD UK CEO, said: "I'm delighted to see its brand-new Darlington DC open on schedule as Logistics Manager head towards its busiest time of the year. "Logistics Manager is planning for a record Black Friday and Christmas peak period this year and its network of over 80 distribution centres is absolutely key to the campaign. "This is an ongoing programme and Logistics Manager has consistently invested in building brand new DCs for the last 15 years. "As a result, the majority of our network is made up of purpose-built facilities with the automation and the capacity we need to run a premium national seven day a week, next day delivery service, helping to ensure we always meet the demand for our services and exceed our customers' expectations." Reuben joined Akabo Media as assistant editor of CiTTi - one of Logistics Manager's sister publications - in October 2023. He has worked in digital and print publications since graduating in MA Publishing in 2022. He holds a great interest in transport technology and innovation. Outside of work, Reuben is also a huge football fan. 28th October 2026 27th October 2026 23rd October 2026

DPD UK deliver mentoring - Young people's preparedness. - DPD UK CEO Justin Pegg announces a landmark mentoring programme delivering 24,000 mentoring sessions to 16-25 year olds across the UK, with up to 2,000 DPD UK employees who will each mentor at least one young person per month - DPD UK is partnering with mentorhero, a new global mentoring platform re-imagining where the world goes for advice, led by CEO Jackson Parsons DPD UK, one of the UK's leading parcel delivery companies, has today announced a landmark mentoring programme delivering 24,000 mentoring sessions in its first year to 16 to 25 year olds across the UK. Up to 2,000 DPD UK colleagues will participate in the partnership, volunteering at least 30 minutes each per month for 12 months to virtually support young people with careers advice on everything from how to improve a CV, to preparing for an interview, and building confidence to face a difficult job market. Thousands of young people will benefit, and they can come back for a second or third session, so the support continues beyond a single conversation. Commitments like the one by DPD UK are a critical part of addressing the crisis of 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 (13.0%) classified as NEET (not in education, employment or training) in the UK, according to the latest ONS figures, with the youth unemployment rate for 16 to 24-year-olds standing at 15.8%. The programme was developed and will be facilitated by mentorhero, a new global mentoring platform re-imagining where the world goes for advice. mentorhero was co-founded by Jackson Parsons who hosts the UK's Leading Career Show 'My Duvet Flip', also aimed at supporting young people with careers advice content, with more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube. mentorhero is a first of its kind platform that uses proprietary technology and bespoke design to match mentors and mentees and guide them through a productive and authentic mentoring conversation. All sessions run on mentorhero's safeguarded platform, with safeguarding as a top priority. Justin Pegg, CEO of DPD UK, has spent more than 36 years with the business. He grew up in Birmingham, left school at 15 and joined Parceline, the company that later became DPD, as soon as he turned 18. He became a manager at 22 and spent 25 years working night shifts in the company's distribution centres before rising to lead DPD UK, which today has around 18,000 people and includes CitySprint and DPD Ireland. He describes developing people as his biggest career achievement. Justin Pegg, CEO of DPD UK said: "At DPD UK, we have long believed that businesses have a responsibility to invest in the next generation. I have already completed three mentoring sessions with mentorhero myself and plan to keep going, and I am so pleased my team will help young people reach their potential. We are proud to commit to 24,000 mentoring sessions over the next 12 months through this partnership, and we look forward to the impact we will have together." Jackson Parsons, CEO of mentorhero: "Many young people don't have the privilege of someone telling them how work works - and the job market is incredibly tough right now. Our goal with mentorhero is to give young people access and give professionals a way to give back - all with the goal of making the UK a powerhouse for youth employment. DPD UK's commitment to mentoring is inspiring and this country needs more leaders like Justin prioritising giving back." Olly Craughan, another mentor at DPD UK who has completed two mentoring sessions, commented: "The platform made it really easy, and the conversations are honestly very rewarding. I'm already looking forward to my next mentoring session and am glad I have the chance to do this at DPD UK." Hira Hussain, a mentee mentored by DPD UK CEO Justin Pegg, shared: "Before my mentoring session, I was totally lost on what a good CV looked like, but Justin took the time to review my experience and make really helpful suggestions. Now I don't feel like another name in a stack, but like I have something special and unique to offer. mentorhero pairs you up with a mentor who has experience in the field you want to look into. It genuinely helps anyone who wants to progress their career and get the right advice from the right people." The announcement made on National Mentoring Day marks the beginning of what both organisations describe as a sustained, structured commitment to youth development in the UK. The mentoring sessions are designed to be 30 minutes because, as mentorhero states, it is effective and efficient, otherwise 'young people get bored and professionals get busy' if commitments are too long. The format works: more than 68% of first mentoring sessions end with the same mentor and mentee rebooking another session together. DPD UK joins brands like Schroders that have partnered with mentorhero, and the platform already has thousands of young people signed up from across the UK. Young people aged 16 to 25 can book a session at https://mentorhero.com/, and other employers who want to give their people the chance to mentor are invited to get involved via the same site

Parcel delivery company DPD UK tackles NEETS crisis with mentorhero powered programme. DPD UK has announced a programme delivering 24,000 mentoring sessions in its first year to 16 to 25 year olds across the UK. Up to 2,000 DPD UK colleagues will participate in the initiative, volunteering at least 30 minutes each per month for 12 months to virtually support young people with careers advice on everything from how to improve a CV, to preparing for an interview, and building confidence to face a difficult job market. Thousands of young people are set to be involved, and they can come back for a second or third session. This is an attempt to address the crisis of 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 (13%) classified as NEET (not in education, employment or training) in the UK, according to the latest ONS figures, with the youth unemployment rate for 16 to 24-year-olds standing at 15.8%. The programme was developed and will be facilitated by mentorhero, a new global mentoring platform co-founded by Jackson Parsons who hosts career show 'My Duvet Flip', also aimed at supporting young people with careers advice content, with more than one million subscribers on YouTube. mentorhero uses proprietary technology and bespoke design to match mentors and mentees and guide them through a productive and authentic mentoring conversation. All sessions run on mentorhero's safeguarded platform. Justin Pegg, CEO at DPD UK, says: "We have long believed that businesses have a responsibility to invest in the next generation. I have already completed three mentoring sessions with mentorhero myself and plan to keep going, and I am so pleased my team will help young people reach their potential. We are proud to commit to 24,000 mentoring sessions over the next 12 months through this partnership, and we look forward to the impact we will have together." Jackson Parsons says: "Many young people don't have the privilege of someone telling them how work works - and the job market is incredibly tough right now. Our goal with mentorhero is to give young people access and give professionals a way to give back - all with the goal of making the UK a powerhouse for youth employment. DPD UK's commitment to mentoring is inspiring and this country needs more leaders like Justin prioritising giving back." Olly Craughan, a mentor at DPD UK who has completed two mentoring sessions, comments: "The platform made it really easy, and the conversations are honestly very rewarding. I'm already looking forward to my next mentoring session and am glad I have the chance to do this at DPD UK." 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards The awards, which celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world, have now closed for entries. Its winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November. Retailtechinnovationhub received a record number of entries this year and many fantastic examples of technology excellence driving transformative change across the global retail sector. Congratulations to all those who made it through the initial submission process! It's now over to its star studded judging panel who will decide the winners to be announced at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London. The event will be held on Wednesday, 4th November and consist of a drinks reception, three course meal, awards ceremony presided over by award winning stand-up comedian, presenter, actor and broadcaster, Aurie Styla, and after party until 1am. No comments yet.