Meadowbrook Extravaganza returns July 11
Dartington swimming pool campaign gathers pace
Dartington’s biggest community fundraiser of the year returns on Saturday 11 July, as local families rally behind the campaign to bring back the village’s much-loved outdoor swimming pool.
The Meadowbrook Extravaganza will take place at Meadowbrook Community Centre, Shinners Bridge, Dartington, from noon to 5pm, with music, food, a dog show, bouncy castles, a football tournament, family sauna sessions, raffle, hair colouring, BBQ and games.
Organisers say the day is designed to be a proper community celebration, with plenty for children, families, dog lovers, swimmers and curious locals to enjoy. The annual fête and fundraiser will raise money for the campaign to reopen Dartington’s outdoor pool, which closed in 2022 after serving the community for nearly 50 years.
The pool was originally hand-dug in 1973 by local farmers, plumbers, tradespeople and volunteers using borrowed equipment. Generations of local children went on to learn to swim there.
Now, with planning permission secured, a quantity surveyor engaged and a five-year business plan being developed, Dartington Recreation Association [DRA] says the campaign is gathering pace.
Urszula Kossakowska, from the Dartington Recreation Association, said: “For nearly 50 years, local children learned to swim in this pool. We want today’s children to have the same opportunity — not just for fun, but for confidence, wellbeing and the life skill of being able to swim safely. Of course people have wonderful memories of the pool, but this project isn’t just about looking backwards. It’s about creating something future generations can enjoy and giving our community an asset it can be proud of for decades to come.”
Plans for the new pool include a 25-metre pool, longer than the original, with improved accessibility and sustainable heating. The DRA says the pool would also be available to local schools for curriculum lessons and essential water safety training.
Urszula added: “This time last year we had a vision. Today we have planning permission, professional expertise around us and a clear roadmap for delivering the project. It still won’t happen overnight, but we’re much closer than we were twelve months ago. The Extravaganza is a brilliant day out in its own right, but it is also an opportunity for people to see the progress we’ve made, ask questions and become part of the next chapter in bringing the pool back to Dartington. Fifty years ago local people came together to build this pool with little more than determination, volunteer effort and a borrowed digger. We’re hoping that same community spirit can help bring it back.”
The DRA is working alongside Sporting Assets, specialists in community sport and leisure, to build a robust five-year business plan centred on reopening the pool, which will target major funders. James Mathie of Sporting Assets said: “There has been a renaissance of outdoor swimming and pools, and that is particularly evident in Devon. The DRA and its team of volunteers have made great progress revitalising and developing the facilities at Meadowbrook. A strong business plan will help clarify the future business model, demonstrate the project’s impact to funders, and support long-term sustainability at Meadowbrook.”
The Meadowbrook Extravaganza takes place on Saturday 11 July, noon to 5pm, at Meadowbrook Community Centre, Shinners Bridge, Dartington, TQ9 6JD.
For more information, visit meadowbrookdartington.org/calendar/extravaganza2026 or follow @meadowbrookdartington.