Dartington’s Swimming Pool Extravaganza:
Featured Image:Helen Alipaz, DRA volunteer (photo credit: Beccy Strong)
Community festival raises funds to reopen beloved pool
The grassroots campaign to reopen Dartington’s cherished but crumbling swimming pool is hosting a fundraising EXTRAVAGANZA on June 29 at Meadowbrook Park, Dartington from midday-8pm, with food, live music, a dog show and family fun all day long.
Closed in 2022 after a half-century of summer swims, Dartington Swimming Pool was a cornerstone of local life, where generations learned to swim, socialise and play after school. Now, the Dartington Recreation Association (DRA) has secured planning permission for an ambitious revival: a 25-metre pool, heated, accessible, powered by renewables, open to all May-October. And fundraising from the June 29 Extravaganza could make it a reality.
The total project cost is estimated at £500,000. And the DRA is calling on the community to help raise funds to make it happen now. “That pool was a lynchpin of local life,” says Helen Alipaz, a longtime DRA volunteer. “And we think it’s high time it was brought back into service.”
To kick off the campaign, the DRA is inviting everyone to a day-long, family-friendly Extravaganza on Sunday June 29 at Meadowbrook Park. Highlights on the day include live DJ sets, bouncy castles, hot food from Big Kebabski and Pizzalogica, wood-fired sauna and cold plunge sessions, yoga classes, kids’ bike games, massage therapy, Japanese drumming, storytelling from Isabella Bike Story, and family-friendly live music from acts like Nursery Grime and Kid Hyena. There’ll also be stalls from local eco groups and garden schools, toy and book sales, a raffle, tombola and more.
The DRA has a great track record delivering community improvements, including the transformation of Meadowbrook Park with wheelchair-accessible play equipment and its popular woodland bike track. Local schools Dartington Primary and Bidwell Brook both make extensive regular use of their facilities, as do the wider community.
“The pool was originally dug out in 1973, by local people,” explains Helen Alipaz. “A team of amateur volunteers – farmers, plumbers, tradespeople and a borrowed digger. It belongs to the community, and we know we can get it back, better than ever, with just a little help.”
The new plans include a shallower area with improved accessibility, renewable heating via solar and heat pumps, and upgraded changing facilities, with phase two set to add a new café and updated pavilion.
Despite a recent £89,000 grant from South Hams District Council via Section 106 planning funds, the team stresses that much more is needed. “That funding was a brilliant start,” says Helen. “But it’s just a contribution. We still need major donations, sponsors, and community support to bring this vision fully to life.”
“The June 29th Extravaganza will be a joyous celebration of everything local, and a vital step in getting the pool back up and running by next spring,” says Helen. “If we raise enough this summer, we can build through winter and reopen in Spring 2026. That’s the dream.”
For more information, or to get involved, visit:
www.meadowbrookdartington.org/pool
https://www.facebook.com/events/601463588963218