Interview: Dean Taylor

IN CONVERSATION

DEAN TAYLOR

Ensuring the safety of both high-profi le athletes and fans is a priority for venues, events and facilities of all sizes. One of the companies providing security services is Evolve SRMC, founded by former soldier and police offi cer Dean Taylor.

What is Evolve SRMC and what does it do?

We provide high quality security solutions and consultancy in varying fields, from sports and executive/close protection to search teams and residential security. We are the sole providers (within the UK and Europe) of Q Fort Fencing. We also work with companies who specialise in drone surveillance technology.

All of our operatives have come from a physically demanding background where fitness and sports alike were very much encouraged and utilised as a means to stay active, healthy and operationally fit. This core ethic is a cornerstone of Evolve and our members actively support a variety of sports and activities so as to encourage our operatives and indeed the younger generation to remain fit and healthy as well as building community cohesion through these activities.

One of our most recent partnerships is with the first ever ‘World Peace School Sports Day’, which took place on 21 September 2022.

What was the motivation behind setting the business up - where did the idea come from?

Following the Aston Villa incident in 2019 – when a person entered the pitch and assaulted Jack Grealish in a match between Birmingham City FC and Villa – and the catastrophic Manchester Arena attack, I observed a gap in the market for Evolve to provide a higher level of security. I believe we provide this protection and adaptive certainty when such instances occur.

Unfortunately some clubs, athletes and sports personalities fail to take security into consideration until it’s too late. This has resulted in serious and/or high-profile incidents which have both caused embarrassment to organisations on the international stage and – even worse – serious injuries to individuals.

Taylor founded the business after identifying a gap in the market

How did you end up doing what you do?

I joined the armed forces at a young age and, after completing my service, I decided to apply my experience and knowledge to the police service. This served to enhance my experiences and knowledge significantly towards what I am doing today.

My policing career was predominantly within Operational Support Units (OSU) and I worked in cohesion with other officers from various forces – including deployments at football matches, demonstrations,

Sport is a growing market for a wide range of security services

searches relating to counter terrorism and some high profile murder searches.

I concluded my time within the police in 2012 and entered the private sector, fulfilling international contracts. I then returned to the UK where I completed my Close Protection Training. Following another stint overseas, I again returned to the UK, qualified in Security Risk Management Consultancy Training and founded Evolve SRMC in early 2019.

How big a market is sport for Evolve at the moment - and are you looking to expand that side of things?

Sport and sports events are a fantastic thing to be a part of. They bring communities together in a unique way and we’re thankful to be able to provide a service that keeps those events safe (albeit covertly). That’s what drives us – knowing that all the people attending, from athletes and celebrities to spectators, can have a safe and enjoyable time.

At the moment, sport is a growing part of our operation and we’re always looking to expand our work in it. The whole concept of uniting the world in peace through sports and children really resonates with us. Hence our close partnership with the World Peace School Sports Day (WPSSD) (www.worldpeaceschoolsportsday.com). We’re also currently in negotiations with a number of other organisations involved in sports events, so watch this space!

Sport and sports events are a fantastic thing to be a part of. They bring communities together and we’re thankful to provide a service that keeps those events safe.

Do you work in all parts of the UK? What about international assignments?

We predominantly work in the UK, but have offices globally and I recently held discussions in the UAE. We will also be offering support to the WPSSD wherever their events may be on a global scale.

So, which future sporting events can we expect to see Evolve SRMC at?

All going well, you won’t! Being covert is key for us. ●