Dartington reveal plans to build creative retirement community

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Based on the Elmhirst philosophy ‘that an abundant life is a happy life’ – The Dartington Hall Trust plans to develop a flagship retirement community, where creativity and personal development will run alongside support for life – with the intention of influencing a cultural shift in the way we think and engage with older age.

The community will be located on the former Foxhole School site, where Dartington plans to build an integrated retirement village consisting of up to 150 one to three-room apartments, along with leisure and community facilities.

The Director for Social Justice at Dartington Celia Atherton OBE said, “Dartington wants to set a precedent that encourages the chance for older people to have a happier retirement, with opportunities to become elders in their community – providing wisdom and experience where it is needed most.”

‘The Abundant Life Project’ aims to attract potential residents from mixed backgrounds and financial circumstances, balanced between local need and those with a passion to follow the Dartington ethos and participate in the innovative activities taking place on the Dartington Estate.

Chief Executive of The Dartington Hall Trust Vaughan Lindsay, “This is an ambitious project but Dartington is up for the challenge because we believe that the high level of unhappiness and loneliness in an ever growing aging population is a pressing problem – and one each and every one of us has a personal interest in solving.

We also know that there is a huge opportunity here to turn a potential challenge in our society into something really positive – where the skills and wisdom of the older generation are not lost beyond their working life – but used to bring greater benefits to their community.”

The Abundant Life Project is still in its initial planning stages and Dartington is currently undertaking wide consultation to ensure that it incorporates the very best ideas from a range of successful retirement community models.

We will regularly update the public via Dartington’s web site – providing a clear education resource for other organisations seeking similar developments. You can get all the current plans for the ‘Abundant Life Project’ and read the latest blogs by going to www.dartington.org/abundant-life