The Social Justice programme at Dartington

The Social Justice programme at Dartington aims to build the capacity for equality and fairness, enabling everyone to meet their full potential and live an ‘abundant life’, as inspired by the Elmhirsts who established Dartington in 1925.

Social justice initiatives have long been a key aspect of Dartington’s work. Our list of achievements over the last 50 years is substantial; we established one of the first sheltered housing sites, hosted discussions central to the birth of a national health service, brought together children from very diverse backgrounds to live and learn together, researched the impact of our institutions for vulnerable young children and lead the change of national policy on supporting vulnerable families. In addition, we were first to seriously consider the need for social workers and other professionals to use research effectively. All this is a proud backdrop to the start of a formal Social Justice programme at Dartington.

Today we are an independent, challenging and powerful voice, establishing enterprises which focus on leading social change. Operating a mix of inspiring independent activities, joint ventures and hosting collaborations, we strive to pursue the mission and objectives of the Social Justice programme and add value within our individual enterprises. This combined Social Justice programme allows us to have a total impact beyond the individual activity of each enterprise within it. Creative links with the Arts and Sustainability programmes at Dartington are also an important part of strengthening our work.

We take pride in our programme of Social Justice at Dartington and constantly look ahead to new opportunities of embracing creative thinking for the further development of an equal society. All enterprises within our Social Justice programme must meet certain criteria, to ensure that they fit with the vision of Dartington, that they are sustainable in the long-term and that they are a credible addition to Dartington and the surrounding area. The enterprises must be focused on their stakeholder needs and be innovative in their aims, to continue the history of independence and experimentation at Dartington.