FLOODLIGHT UPGRADE APPEAL FOR DARTMOUTH AFC

"Dartmouth AFC are looking for financial support in raising funds for the urgent repair and renewal of the floodlights at the ground. Football has been at the heart of Dartmouth since 1908, and over the decades, our community has worked hard to ensure the game continues to thrive here. Most recently, the establishment of Dartmouth AFC Youth, who now proudly compete in the Pioneer Youth League, has further strengthened our commitment to providing opportunities for young people. This development represents not only the continuation of Dartmouth’s strong footballing tradition but also a secure and exciting future for the sport within our community.

However, the importance of the club’s floodlights extends far beyond the game itself. While they are essential for hosting evening matches and training during the darker months, they also serve a vital lifesaving role. The Devon Air Ambulance frequently use the football pitch as a landing site in the event of an emergency, and the floodlights are crucial in ensuring safe landings, particularly during the winter when daylight is limited. To put this into perspective, in 2024 alone, the Devon Air Ambulance attended 2,459 missions across the county.

While not every mission required the use of Dartmouth AFC, it is clear that having a fully functional, safe, and reliable landing site with adequate lighting is of critical importance to both Dartmouth and the wider surrounding communities.

The necessary repair and upgrade work (which includes the ability for the air ambulance to remotely turn on the floodlights as they approach) to our floodlights comes at a significant cost, and as a community-focused club run largely by volunteers, we cannot achieve this without your help. Any contribution you are able to make, no matter the size, will play a direct role in supporting not just local football, but also the emergency services, and most importantly, the safety and wellbeing of people in our area.

We would be deeply grateful for your support towards this essential project and for helping us to safeguard both the sporting and wider community needs of Dartmouth.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you wish to discuss this further.

Your Sincerely, Club Secretary: Mrs. E Rogers"

The Old Dartmothians will discuss this at the next meeting, 30th September.
More details are available by downloading this DAFC Floodlight Appeal

MEMBER & COMMITTEE TUESDAY MEETINGS 2025

The Old Dartmothians' Association was founded in the Ship 'n' Dock Inn, on the Friday of Dartmouth Regatta in 1923, by four Dartmothians. Their intention was to form a fellowship of Dartmouth men over the age of eighteen, who would cherish their relationship with the town of Dartmouth, and could help to enhance the lives of the townsfolk, even though some of them may have moved away to live elsewhere.

So does that mean the association is only meant only for the elderly townsmen? Well the answer is most definitely NO! The word old has many meanings when used in particular contexts, and in this case we think that it was intended to be interpreted as "Denoting someone who formerly attended, or lived/lives in, a specified place. e.g. as in ‘an old Etonian’. and not someone who is aged.

CONTACT

If you are someone who would like to participate in helping to fulfil the aims of the association, then please read the information contained in the Membership  page. If you would like to drop in at one of the meetings and find out more, then you could attend one of the following meetings that are held at the Dartmouth Amateur Rowing Club, Sandquay Road, Dartmouth. TQ6 9PH. Meetings are held bi-monthly on the last Tuesday of the following months commencing at 7:30pm as follows, January (AGM), March, May, July, September, November. Also, any potential new member who would like to just have an informal meet and greet chat, along with a tea or coffee, could join several of the present members who meet at the Ship In Dock Inn on a Friday morning from approximately 10.30 am.