A 63-year-old woman from Okehampton is undertaking a ten kilometre swimming challenge in aid of Chagford Swimming Pool.

Chagford Pool has been fitted with a new environmentally friendly waste water processor, which it was required to do, at a cost of nearly £10,000. The money has had be be borrowed and although the pool has been pledged approximately half of this amount it is in need of help to raise the remaining £6,000.

The new environmentally friendly system uses air to clean the waste water before it is discharged and is required to meet current environmental health regulations. This was an essential project to keep the pool open.

This money must be raised via community support, grants and donations. Proceeds from Susan’s swim will go towards the waste water treatment system, but this is the first of many projects which must be undertaken to keep the pool open.

To help raise funds, Susan Weaver is taking on the River Dart 10K which takes place this weekend. The distance is the equivalent of over 300 lengths of the 33- metre pool in Chagford.

Susan only began swimming at the age of 57 and this will be her third attempt at the epic ten kilometre freshwater swim. Last year she completed the challenge in three hours and ten seconds.

Anyone who donates is in with a chance of willing an a la carte dinner for two at Gidleigh Park by donating and guessing what Susan’s time will be. The one closest to the correct time will win the prize.

Susan said: ‘My time last year was a miraculous three hours and ten seconds, greatly aided by the tide and heavy rainfall the night before.

‘I have taken as long as four and a half hours. It is of course more than possible I seize up altogether and so people may prefer to predict how far I get rather than time to finish!’

This is the eighth year of the Dart 10K fundraising event. It was the first swim of its kind on the open water calendar and quickly grew from 200 swimmers taking part to 1,600 over two days.

The Dart 10K follows the Dart from Totnes to the estuary at Dittisham, taking in some of the South Hams’ most beautiful countryside and landmarks along the river, including the Cormorant Tree, White Rock, Sharpham boat house and Bow Creek.

A spokesperson for Chagford Pool’s committee said: ‘We are delighted that Susan has chosen Chagford Pool to raise money for us with her swim this year. We have seen her hard at work training at the pool in our evening lengths sessions.

‘Chagford is so fortunate to have a large open air pool where locals and visitors alike can enjoy clean air, unspoilt surroundings and fresh moorland water. This spring following two community meetings it was identified as Chagford’s most major asset, but running the pool is both labour and cost intensive.

‘In 2016 for example, we brought in over £22,000 via the gate and season tickets. Routine outgoings and maintenance exceeded £31,000. Our small team work tirelessly to fundraise throughout the year, staging a number of regular events to bridge the annual shortfall .’