If you're looking for inspiration for gifts for the Naturist in your life, then don't forget to have a browse around the UK's nudest shop...
Whilst most of us prefer nothing, there are always times when a hoodie, t-shirt, cap or beenie hat might come in useful. Mugs, tea towels, aprons, water bottles, mousemat and even doormats are available too. All emblazoned with the BN logo and a variety of slogans - you're bound to find something to (birthday) suit.
A small range of books are available too.
If you can't decide, then choose a gift voucher - redeemable against all products and also tickets for our amazing events.
shop.bn.org.uk
Dr Annebella Pollen is Reader in the History of Art and Design at the University of Brighton. Her book Nudism in a Cold Climate: The Visual Culture of Naturists in Mid-20th-Century Britain is published by Atelier Editions on 3rd December 2021.
Annebella was our guest on The Forum Live recently and also kindly wrote about her book for us.
Why would a non-naturist write a history of naturism? What can a clothes-loving academic, who usually writes about the history of fashion and the history of photography, bring to such a study?
Some years ago, researching 1920s utopian youth movements for a previous book, I stumbled across an unfamiliar word: gymnosophy. English outdoor groups promoted it, and hosted lectures on the topic with evocative titles, such as “Clothing and its Conflict with Health and Morality”. Gymnosophists, with flamboyant pseudonyms like Zex and Thwang, invited sympathisers to attend their “picturesque wilderness” in Hertfordshire. This was, they noted obscurely, “a playground and camp settlement wherein a group of congenial persons, united in a desire to detach themselves from the trivialities and less valuable artificialities of conventional existence, may find opportunity for vigorous, healthy exercise and stimulating thinking — for vitalising recreation and refreshing social intercourse”.
I had no idea what was going on, but I was intrigued. I was further fascinated when I learned that gymnosophy combined the Greek words for nakedness and wisdom. It conferred classical status on a socially nude practice that dared not speak its name in a buttoned-up place and time. Gymnosophists disrobed for “self-realization”, but they were also the founders of the British Naturist movement. Their picturesque wilderness became Four Acres and finally Five Acres nudist club.
Gymnosophy’s target member was the radical visionary. Their promotions sat alongside advertisements for food-reform restaurants offering meat substitutes washed down with fruit juice, nature cures using water, air, mud, and magnetism, and bookshops selling tomes on self-improvement and sex education. They attracted campers and hikers, simple-lifers and handicrafters, yoga practitioners and enthusiasts of new religions. In the 1990s, in Totnes, South Devon, I lived among the New Age grandchildren of exactly these people. I knew their interests well. For a time, I called myself one of them. I needed to know more of their history. I read everything I could.
This brought me to Northampton, to the offices of British Naturism. On an unassuming residential street in early 2017, the door was opened to a rich archive of publications and papers that contained everything I had wanted to know but had been afraid to ask. I was immediately struck by how much the early nudists – as they mostly preferred to be called – had to say about fashion. In my academic role, I have long taught design students about theories of clothing, but here was a body of experts I had never considered. Those who reject dress, it transpires, have unique experiences and perspectives on the subject.
I also noticed the significant place of the photograph in nudist publications. In long-standing fitness magazines, such as Health and Efficiency, which went fully nudist in the early 1930s, and in Britain’s first born-nudist magazines, such as 1933’s Gymnos and Sun Bathing Review, photographs promoted the movement to a wide readership (much wider than the small number of practitioners). I’ve previously written on the history of photography, and here were familiar names. Eminent portraitists of the royal family, such as Bertram Park, also published nudist photographs, seemingly without conflict. Edith Tudor Hart, the communist most famous for recruiting the Cambridge Five ring of Soviet spies, was also a keen photographer for nudist magazines.
These surprising discoveries set me on a journey of several years’ duration, across libraries, museums and collections nationwide. The result, freshly published as Nudism in a Cold Climate, uses the print and visual culture of naturism to chart fifty years of rapid social change in Britain. From the tiny intellectual beginnings, when nudism was mostly populated by artists and writers, psychiatrists and physicians, to the expansion of the practice to 40,000 nudists by the start of the Second World War, the first chapter of the book establishes the movement and its ideals.
Moving through the war years and post-war period, the second chapter examines the growing popularity of nude imagery and the parallel commercialisation of nudist magazines, which boasted over 100,000 copies an issue. Key photographers emerged and a boom in cheap publishing brought nudist words and images to the masses, even if they never came to camp. British nudism began to consolidate its identity, with a wider range of members and a less elite approach. In the 1950s, nudists standardised the practice away its eccentric origins, making it equivalent to, as one put it, “breeding canaries or collecting horse-brasses or carving model boats”.
In the final chapter, I examine the challenges that the movement, formally renamed as Naturism, met in changing contexts, including Britain’s punitive obscenity laws, inflammatory attitudes to race in an age of mass immigration, and new conditions of sexual freedom. The culture clashes of the 1960s played out in the pages of the magazines and the nude image was a key site of conflict. I end the book in the early 1970s as the nude body achieved mainstream media acceptance, even as the sexualised nude represented a fundamental break with nudism’s founding principles.
Although I am not a Naturist, it turns out that my years among the hippies, roaming naked with friends among the standing stones of Dartmoor, gave me valuable insight into the feelings of liberation that social nudity can bring. In the same years, I earned my living as an artist’s model. I look at nude photographs as both subject and critic. As a “textile”, I can read mid-twentieth-century nudist publications as they were intended. Many address the sceptic and the novice to persuade the reader that the cause is legitimate. Finally, as an enthusiast of design, working with an art publisher, I can tell this history through a handsome book, with over 100 images, which incorporates the mood and styles of the material it analyses, from the chilly blue colourway to the folding modesty flap of the cover. I hope naturists will find my outsider perspective worthwhile.
Next Monday (6th December) we’ll be hosting our monthly debate session on the Forum Live. No guests, no interviews, no presentations, but instead a chance for you to share your opinion and hear from others.
It’s a subject that has been discussed widely and for a long time. Should everyone in a Naturist place be fully nude? Or should everyone be allowed to dress as they choose? The question is often moot in the UK, as the weather dictates the answer. But should we be happy to enjoy our nudity on beaches with people in swimsuits? Should clothed partners and families of Naturists be welcomed to nude venues so that they can enjoy them too? Does a nude rule put newcomers off? Or should those newbies be asked to respect the philosophy? Will clothed people be inspired and eventually join in?
Come and tell us what you think…reserve your place now
Celebrating 90 Years of Naturism at British Naturism Sunfolk
Most BN members will be familiar with the recent history of the British Naturism: Sunfolk venue close to St Albans, Hertfordshire, and the acquisition by British Naturism of the site early in 2020, but did you know that this only the latest chapter in the Sunfolk story?
The Sunfolk site has been in continuous use as a Naturist venue for the last 90 years, making it one of the longest-established spaces available for Naturists anywhere in the country. As we look forward to the venue opening again next Spring—and beyond to the exciting development plans you can read more about elsewhere in this issue—we should also reflect on the pioneering work of the members of the Sun-Folk Society who we have to thank for establishing and maintaining the site for everyone to enjoy today—and for generously allowing BN to acquire the site.
As part of our planning application for the development of Sunfolk we worked with former members of the society, to prepare a short history of the venue. The 90th anniversary of the establishment of Sunfolk on 1 December 1931 seemed like the perfect time to share this more widely!
The Sun-Folk Society was established by a group of Naturists associated with the New Gymnosophy Society, founded in the late 1920s to provide opportunities for Naturist outdoor recreation and social activity, inspired by the model of German Naturist clubs collectively represented by the 'Reichbund fur Freikorperkultur’ (RFK). These clubs had been built on a model of open and accessible membership, with the ownership and operation of the club, its land and facilities shared between members.
At this time, the first Naturist clubs in the UK were already in existence but operated either on a commercial basis (such as Spielplatz) or as private clubs with membership only available through invitation—the model used by the Five Acres club at the time.
The guiding force behind the foundation of The Sun-Folk Society was Rod Martin, who had developed close relationships with German Naturists in the 1920s.Together with eight other Naturists, Rod established the society in April 1931, originally renting land on the Spielplatz site before purchasing the five acres which make up the current British Naturism: Sunfolk site in 1 December 1931.
From its inception, The Sun-Folk Society operated as a members’ club, controlled by a properly constituted committee, and providing opportunities for outdoor Naturist recreation and social activity to any Naturist who might wish to join and contribute to the club. Thus, although the land was purchased privately by two of the founder members (Rod Martin and Eustace Mills), it was transferred into a trust in May 1936, ensuring that the land could only be used for Naturist recreation and not disposed of for any other purpose.
The pre-war period saw considerable work completed by the members of The Sun-Folk Society to clear areas of the wooded site, to build a clubhouse, and to excavate a swimming pool. The original clubhouse remains in use.
The site also provided a foundation throughout this period for efforts to increase the public profile and acceptance of Naturism in the UK and beyond. The Sun-Folk Society advertised for new members in the Times, the Spectator, the New Statesman, and the London Evening Standard, and published their own Naturist magazine, Gymnos, for open sale in 1932. The site would also have hosted the first international Naturist conference in 1934, but this was cancelled following the forced closure of the German RFK and Naturist clubs by the National Socialist government.
The Sun-Folk Society went from strength-to-strength in the post war period with a significant increase in individual and family membership which in turn enabled investment in and improvement of the site. For the fifty-year period between the 1940s and the 1990s, The Sun-Folk Society boasted a large and active membership of several hundred individuals often including two or three generations of the same family. Communal recreation and social activity remained at the core of the site, with the society deliberately choosing not to allow the development of buildings for individual use to protect this ethos. Investment in sports facilities was completed throughout this period with miniten and volleyball courts, and pétanque pistes being created to complement the swimming pool established in the 1930s.
The Sun-Folk Society AGM, 1948
Buildings on the site were also expanded throughout this period to provide facilities for social activity and to support outdoor recreation. These included the expansion of the existing clubhouse to include a modern kitchen in the 1970s, the development of a modern toilet block in the 1980s, and the installation of a sauna and sun lounge in the 1990s. Sunbathing lawns were expanded plus ornamental planting to provide variety and interest, and the creation of a ‘sun walk’ around the perimeter of the site, enclosed by conifers to screen members from neighbouring non-Naturist sites.
The site was a focus for Naturist activity in the area for much of this period, hosting regional sports events for Naturist clubs, meetings of other Naturist organisations and social events such as country dancing and an annual firework display.
The Sun-Folk Society continued its work to attract new members into the twenty-first century with its first website, launched in 2000. A bequest from a member also allowed the development of a new swimming pool, completed in 2016. A number of unique challenges from the mid-1990s, led to a decline in membership in the 25 years up to 2020. To ensure that the site remained accessible for Naturism, the management board of the society started discussions with BN, which led to the acquisition of the site early last year.
The conditions of the acquisition by British Naturism specify that the site must continue to be used for the furtherance of Naturism, continuing the 90-year history of Naturism on the site, and honouring the key role of the site in development of UK Naturism. But most importantly in the words of Allan Kidney, the last chairman of The Sun-Folk Society, ‘The acquisition allows the return of the missing generations of Naturists to this historically significant site.’
Jon Williams, BN Vice-chair
What's next for Sunfolk? Read about what the future holds, in the new BN Magazine, Winter 2021, to be published in early December.
Regular readers will know that once a quarter, we hold a Forum Live event for members to meet and ask questions of British Naturism's Executive Committee. The next session will take place on Monday week, the 13th December 2021 at 7:30pm.
The event is open to all British Naturism members and is expected to last an hour. Questions for the Directors and Executive Committee members on any relevant subject will be welcome. To help us manage the session and to provide the best possible answers we would welcome questions in advance, and we will take these first. Subject to time constraints we will take questions on the night as well.
If you have a question, please send it to headoffice@bn.org.uk
Book your place now...
There can be few as well qualified as Mark Storey to write this wonderful history of nudist/Naturist films. Mark is a lifelong Naturist, joining the Naturist Society (TNS) back in 1988. He is a member of the Naturist Action Committee (NAC), where he has worked with the Naturist Educational Foundation (NEF), and has also been the editorial consultant of Nude and Natural magazine. He helped organize four TNS festivals, two clothing-optional jazz festivals, a Naturist-related film festival, and a theatrical production about nude beaches. As if that is not enough, his day job is teaching philosophy at Bellevue College in Washington State.
Mark first published this book back in 2003 to a great reception and has now updated to a second edition. The book covers the nudist exploitation films that tantalised audiences from the 1930s through to the 1960s, but it is so much more than that since it looks at how these films were received by the nudist/Naturist community and how these communities used the medium of film to promote nudism/Naturism as a healthy lifestyle.
This new edition updates the coverage to include films such as Act Naturally (2011) and Patrick (2019) - although these are classed not as exploitation films, demonstrating how the market has now moved on.
The nudist film genre used the exploitation techniques of exposé and education and the classic nudist film had a number of common themes - it was usually set in a nudist ‘camp’ or ‘colony’; it sought to apparently promote a nudist philosophy; they were relentlessly nonsexual - breasts and buttocks were fine but genitals or pubic hair would have classified the film as ‘obscene’. But the main aim was devoted to getting attractive naked women on screen - everything else was secondary.
There were three types of exploitation film: the documentary, the fictional story and the dreaded compilation which endlessly rehashed random clips of naked women from any source and was always without context or any attempt at a story. One of the most popular storylines used in nudist exploitation films went as follows: an attractive female nudist introduces her female friend to nudism with the friend initially rejecting the idea but always coming round to love the nudist movement. The book covers the development of censorship on both sides of the Atlantic – Garden of Eden (1954) proved a test case which established the filmmakers’ rights to portray the nudist lifestyle. The film’s success, playing to packed audiences, prompted the
UK film industry to respond with Nudist Paradise (1958) which included coverage of the 1958 World Congress of Nudists at Woburn Abbey, albeit behind a fictional love story. The mid-1960s also saw the arrival of colour films, the increasing use of low budget models and strippers rather than genuine nudists and saw the end of the era as audiences moved to more challenging films for their entertainment.
The move to age-related ratings for films in 1968, including the infamous ‘X’ category, effectively killed off the nudist exploitation film as full frontal nudity without the educational ‘justification’ became the new model to attract audiences. But there were genuine Naturist films that did not follow the exploitation route - Michael Keatering - better known to UK Naturists as Edward Craven Walker - was to make Travelling Light (1958) which used a Naturist cast from across Europe in an attempt to promote the Naturist lifestyle. Walker was to follow this with Sunswept (1961) and Eves on Skis (1963) before he moved on to invent the Lava Lamp and establish BDOC.
Sometimes the films did get one thing right – “the sense of freedom and innocent fun of being nude outdoors with friendly people.” In the US, Garden of Eden was taken up by the American Sunbathing Association as a genuine vehicle to promote nudism as a healthy lifestyle choice while Educating Julie (1984) was endorsed by British Naturism - then known as CCBN.
The book concludes by reviewing the story arc that nudist films have gone through from the films of the 1930s to 1960s, which increasingly moved towards the exploitation of female flesh, through the barren 1970s, when pornographers used their greater freedoms to make the nudist genre irrelevant, to the 1980s with nudist film makers finally using the new medium of video to begin to promote social nudity. The 1990s saw a glut of cheaply produced content before the arrival of the Internet suddenly made Naturists wary of being exposed in their lifestyle choice and reticent to appear on film. But the arrival of the iPhone and YouTube finally made it possible for anyone to become a Naturist film maker.
Ending with Storey’s Top 20 nudist films - over a third of which are British - this is an excellent and complete retelling of the Naturist films from the 1930s through to the present day. I highly recommend it - and this is not only because it gives several favourable nods to British Naturism along the way. It is a fascinating, knowledgeable and very readable account of a vital part of our Naturist history.
Review by Brian Curragh
Cinema au Naturel is available to order direct from the publisher
We had a blast at our annual winter weekend and 450 BN members travelled from all over the country to enjoy loads of activities, a huge waterpark and the company of like-minded people.
We took our clothes off at 6pm on Friday evening and didn’t need them again until Sunday lunchtime!
Aside from splashing in the pools, riding the flumes and relaxing in the hot tubs, as is usual at British Naturism events, there was loads to do. Activities included crafts, fitness and sports (including yoga, fitsteps, PT, aquarobics and water polo), body painting, a quiz and live entertainment and dancing both nights. If you've never danced naked, you're missing out on one of life's great experiences!
Look out for a full report in due course
Next Monday (29th November) our guest will be Christine Kouman who has been CEO at Dutch Naturist Federation NFN Open en Bloot since 2015.
NFN is a dynamic, social membership organization with diverse target groups and many stakeholders. Over the past 6.5 years, connections have been strengthened both within and outside the organization, internal processes have been improved, the association is financially healthy again and a target group policy has been introduced, resulting in a portfolio of two brands: BlootGewoon! en NatuurlijkNFN!
We'll hear more about the work and structure of the organisation and how the team of 13 people serve 58.000 members, standing up for the interests of all people who like to enjoy naked recreation in the Netherlands, increasing social acceptance of nudist recreation and supplying information.
Reserve your place now...
SANER members in the North East of England are looking to promote more events in their area.
“Our intentions are to reach out to members and to find some new and exciting things to do the way we like to do it. In the Buff of course,” say organisers Carmen and Davey.
Ideas so far: camping, new indoor swims, nudie trips to the cinema, massages and naked boat rides. How about a come-dine-with-me style outing, or a paint and pint night?
Please send your ideas and comments to regional coordinator Danny Callaghan.
I'm delighted to announce that next Monday, 22nd November, my guest on The Forum Live will be Dr Annebella Pollen, a reader in the History of Art and Design at the University of Brighton.
Annebella is the author of Nudism in a Cold Climate: The Visual Culture of Naturists in Mid-20th-Century Britain to be published in early December. It uses the print and visual culture of Naturism (including information and material gained from the British Naturism archive) to chart fifty years of rapid social change in Britain. From the tiny intellectual beginnings, when nudism was mostly populated by artists and writers, psychiatrists and physicians, through the expansion of the practice to 40,000 nudists by the start of the Second World War, and the culture clashes of the decades beyond.
Reserve your place now...
This website comes in for a lot of praise, from Naturists and others from all around the world. It's bursting with inspiring articles, first person experiences, holiday information, event listings, news and announcements, information on our activities and more.
There's even a separate section for members with a huge number of discussion topics, advice from other members, downloads (including our members' magazine), galleries and blogs. Naturally, you have to be logged in to access it.
We know many of our members visit the site without logging in, and are therefore missing out on the good stuff!
If that's you and you'd like to find out how to gain access check out our website guides, which contain information a variety of topics including how to get started.
(...and if you are not a member, you can join us here.)
Hot on the heels of the appointments we announced last week, we are very pleased to announce a further EC appointment.
Last week BN's North West Region convened a Special General Meeting that included a decision to co-opt Ron O'Hare (pictured centre, with friends in Fuerteventura) as the new North West Regional Coordinator. Many will already be aware of Ron’s work in the region in producing news stories and organising events. Ron’s passion for launching new activities has not vanished and he intends to continue to be fully involved in supporting the Great British Skinny Dip, while working as part of the regional committee.
We would, of course, like the thank Amanda Lee, the previous coordinator who was forced to step back for health reasons and John Rodgers who has been deputising for the last 6 months.
Ron’s co-option comes at a very exciting time for the North West Region. Long-term servants, Bob Binnie and Gene Bailey have stepped back from the roles of Regional Chair and Regional Secretary respectively, and again earn our thanks. The Special meeting elected their successors, Tony Macaulay as Chair and Phil Wharmby as Secretary. Between them, Tony and Phil bring a rich blend of experience and energy and will set to work once the paperwork is complete. Complemented by Ron’s skills and the well-established record of other contributors such as Vice Chair, Jane Caunt, it is clear that we can expect great things in the North West in the year ahead.
I’m sure you will all join me in congratulating the new incumbents and thanking those stepping down as the North West Region moves into this new, exciting chapter.
Ron is also planning an open Zoom meeting for BN members in the North West region. Register here (log in required), and contact Ron generally at ron.ohare@bn.org.uk
This appointment leaves Ron's previous role of Campaigns task force leader vacant and we are eager to fill it. If you are interested, or know someone who could be, please visit the volunteering pages of our website to find out more (log in required) or contact BN's Volunteering Officer John Gelder john.gelder@bn.org.uk
At British Naturism we're rightly proud of our events, both live and online. From camping weeks and hotel weekends, to nights out dining nude in a pub or a wandering around a landscaped garden, they’re popular and there’s something for everyone.
But what is it like to attend one? What activities and entertainment can you expect? What do you need to bring? Do you undress on arrival? What if you don’t know anyone? How is BN dealing with Covid arrangements?
Next Monday (15th November) my guest will be BN’s events manager, Mark Walsh and I’ll be chatting to him in the run up to our flagship party weekend about events generally, answering those questions and looking forward to events already scheduled for 2022.
Reserve your place now...
Just in Time for Christmas
It’s now a whole year since we relaunched the BN Shop - shop.bn.org.uk - supported by a new website and an all-new range of products to help you promote Naturism at home and out and about. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made a purchase from the shop in the last 12 months, and everyone who has shared their thoughts on our product range and suggested ideas for new products.
We’ve been blown away by the level of interest which has significantly exceeded our expectations. We’ve seen orders online throughout the year and have also been proud to offer our products for sale at Nudefest, Alton Towers and Sunfolk.
Best-sellers have been our charcoal and orange hoodies, featuring a range of slogans making subtle (and not-so-subtle) references to Naturism. Our ‘You can leave your hat on’ baseball caps and ‘Naturists may be seen beyond this point’ doormats have also proved to be really popular.
We’d particularly like to thank everyone who has made a donation to the legal fund and to our charity partner, the British Heart Foundation, alongside their purchases. Your generosity has raised over £1,000 for these great causes over the last year.
With Christmas approaching fast, you might want to consider finding a gift for the Naturist in your life - or perhaps to treat yourself. For the winter months, we’re offering a range of knitted beanie hats featuring the BN logo and a slogan that will be familiar to many naked hikers, ‘Isn’t it a bit cold for that’! Don’t worry if you can’t decide as we also have gift vouchers available which can be used to buy products or to pay for our events.
As we head into the new year, we’ll be looking to refresh and extend the range featuring new products and slogans and (hopefully) the return of the much-missed BN towels. We’re also hoping to add products featuring the Great British Skinny Dip and Nudefest logos.
If you have any comments about the shop, or suggestions of products that you would like to see, we’d love to hear from you. Why not drop us a line at shop@bn.org.uk
Happy Shopping!
Next Monday (8th November) I'm pleased to announce that my guest will be Sönke, founder of Get Naked Germany (GNG)
Born in Hamburg, Sönke had childhood experiences of Naturism in Corsica and has been a member of Naturist Camping am Flemhuder See Kiel e.V.", Germany's most northerly Naturist camping association, for 15 years, serving for 8 years on their board, responsible for public relations.
With friends he started Get Naked Germany last year and works with the German Federation (DFK) in promoting a clothes-free lifestyle.
We'll find out more about Sönke and his plans for GNG. We hope to include a presentation on how it works on social media and show some images.
Reserve your place now...!
The Forum Live is for BN members and members of overseas federations only. If you'd like to join us, please do so here
British Naturism's London and South East Region (LASER) contains our greatest concentration of members but has been without a Regional Coordinator for some time. That has now changed with Viv Rimmer volunteering for the role. Viv brings extensive experience in communication and team management so is precisely the sort of person to build and lead a new team in the LASER region. Viv’s experience in pastoral support of the vulnerable on the streets dovetails with British Naturism’s commitment to supporting the vulnerable and meeting the gold standard for safeguarding in a national organisation.
Viv says:
Hi everyone! I've just been appointed LASER regional co-ordinator, and I'm looking forward to getting into the role and meeting and supporting Naturists in the region.
Some of you may already know me through my club, Heritage, BN events in Windermere and Scotland, and walks with NatRam and other groups. I hope to get to as many events in the region as I can in the near future and meet more of you! I'm particularly keen to make contact with people who are already active in organising events locally, or who have ideas or skills they would like to offer, or perhaps consider a regional committee role (with active engagement and minimum bureaucracy!). If you think that's you, do get in touch, it would be great to hear from you.
I hope to set up a forum area for LASER soon (under 'Region Talk'), and a regional newsletter relaunch is being discussed at national level. You can sign up for your own regional news at www.bn.org.uk/membership/newsletter-preferences if you would like to receive this.
LASER has been without a RC for a while, and has a lot of members and potential. It's great that we already have plenty of events running in the region, and I intend to listen to, facilitate and support people to expand this, to the best of my ability. I thoroughly enjoy Naturism myself, and I know how much others do too, and how important the social side is to many people. I hope we will together be able to build up a thriving naturist community in the region, with local activities for everyone.
Thanks and I look forward to meeting you soon!
viv.rimmer@bn.org.uk
Our second EC appointment is to a new role. The clubs consultation identified the need for a Clubs Officer to better integrate clubs with the national organisation. The aim of the role is two-fold.
The first is that clubs should be better supported so that they thrive, the second is that members of British Naturism who are not club members start to gain greater benefit from the network of facilities around the country.
We are pleased to announce that Sally Whitney has stepped up to take on the role. Sally is an active member of Blackthorns Sun Club and her experience in working professionally and voluntarily for a national charity and HMRC in relationship management means that she has the transferable skill set to navigate the complexity that is British Naturism, making her well-placed to serve both clubs and individual members as she develops this important new role.
Sally says:
I have been chatting with many club officers, club members and Naturists. Virtually every discussion turns to membership of clubs, the benefits of being a member of a club, the difficulties people are having becoming members of clubs and/or why people have stopped being members of a club.
I decided this summer to become a volunteer for BN and saw the Clubs Officer Role. I am a people person and in my employment I work closely with multiple stakeholders to ensure services delivered meet the needs of the service users. I believe this role will help me utilise my skills for the benefit of the whole of BN and I am proud to be involved in the growth of BN. It gives me the opportunity to meet other Naturists and to promote social nudity across the UK.
My initial plans are to build a network with clubs across the UK and to look for opportunities for BN to support clubs and vice versa. I will be visiting BN member clubs and will welcome contributions from any club or individuals that will assist me in developing this role for the benefit of all clubs and members. Please keep an eye out for the blog I am starting which should keep you updated on what I am doing.
Please let me know if you would be interested in taking part in meetings to explore what I can do in my position as Club Officer to benefit the wider membership, focussing specifically on clubs.
I look forward to working with members, clubs and BN committees to develop and fulfil this role. My vision for the role is to enhance the relationship between Naturist clubs and BN.
sally.whitney@bn.org.uk and @Sally Whitneyfor members on the forum.
It has been a busy period for volunteer recruitment and we can now announce some new EC members and officers. I look forward with optimism to the contributions our new officers will make to what I am certain is a bright future for Naturism, and I am sure you will want to join me in welcoming them.
Here we showcase our new Women in Naturism co-ordinator. Look out over the next few days for two others.
Although it is not an EC role this is a highly significant within our organisation. Donna Price stepped down from the role last month having served her two years. We are pleased that Helen Berriman has come forward as our next officer. Helen has already been in extensive discussions with Donna about how to build on her excellent work. Helen is relatively new to Naturism and has quickly built a reputation on social media for promoting body positivity and Naturism. A key objective of the role is to help women feel comfortable in their own skin, and Helen is able to bring to the role relevant recent experience of starting up in Naturism. Helen’s passion for promoting body acceptance and positivity aligns very closely with our major campaigning objectives and strategy for the year ahead so we are building a coherent team in British Naturism.
Helen says: My passion for this role was inspired by my own life's battles, namely body dysmorphia and the inability to accept my husband's Naturism. It wasn't until I went to a Naturist resort and I "dared to bare" that I could appreciate for myself what the appeal was. I have never been in a more relaxed and friendly environment. Naturism is such a great leveller. Without the clothes, we are all the same. Just a bunch of non judgemental people experiencing body freedom.
I understand the feeling of empowerment that body acceptance gives you. Being nude gave me the tools to completely accept my body for what it was, scars, wobbles, the lot. I finally accept the skin I am in.
I wish to draw on my own experiences to support other Women into giving Naturism a try. It is a HUGE step to take. Knowing what I know now, I wished I'd had done it years ago.
Donna says: I am pleased to hand over the role of WiN Coordinator to Helen and wish her every success in the future.
Trustees’ Week is an annual event held during the first week of November to showcase the great work people do as trustees, directors and committee members and provide opportunities for everyone to get involved and make a difference. It’s an opportunity to …..
celebrate the time, commitment, skills and experience people bring to charities, voluntary organisations and community groups;
find out about the work some of our Directors and Officers do on the British Naturism Executive Committee;
discover whether you have the potential to be a trustee or committee member and consider current opportunities to get involved as part of the Leadership Team of British Naturism; and
say “Thank you” to all those members who play a vital role in running British Naturism, volunteering their time and working together to make important decisions about our organisation’s work.
Becoming a trustee/committee member of British Naturism is an exciting opportunity to benefit the organisation and really make a difference. It can be a hugely rewarding, important and exciting role. You not only give your time, skills and experience to a good cause, you can learn new and useful skills too, and be at the heart of leading British Naturism.
It’s important to have a diverse range of skills on the BN Executive Committee. Having different approaches, skills and experience on a committee helps us carry out important work to the high standards that our members expect.
#ThankATrustee
Trustees’ Week is also an opportunity to show our massive appreciation for the great work trustees do and to say “Thank you” to all those members who play a vital role in running British Naturism, volunteering their time and working together to make important decisions about our organisation’s work.
If you know a trustee involved with a national or local charity or organisation whose contributions have made a real difference to the people and causes their charity/organisation supports, let them know it’s not gone unnoticed! Give them a mention on Twitter, using #ThankATrustee.
Applications are welcomed from individuals of all ages and backgrounds. British Naturism supports the Women on Boards initiative and welcomes applications from women and others to bring fresh experience and perspectives to the governance of BN.
Discover more over on the BN Members' Forum and learn about being a member of the BN Executive Committee from current role-holders themselves, take a quiz to help you understand the skills you could bring to BN, and see all the current vacancies, both national and regional. (Log in required)
The Gathering is an annual weekend-long event hosted by British Naturism’s SANER region (Scotland and North of England including Northern Ireland) which began in 2013
After an enforced break because of the pandemic, during which time the usual venue in Dunoon went into liquidation, the event was relocated to the Waverley Castle Hotel in Melrose and attracted over 100 guests in October 2021. Activities included Christmas and Halloween nights, with fancy dress and body painting, a horse racing game, quizzes, bowls, archery and a naked hill walk - during which 150 or so fell runners were encountered.
Fundraising events across the weekend in aid of the local charity Margaret Kerr Palliative Care Unit in Melrose, raised an amazing £364.20 and a cheque was presented to Dr Annabel Howell.
SANER Regional Chairman Danny Callaghan, said:
‘We were delighted to host this popular event once again. Guests travelled from as far as Dorset and both Southern and Northern Ireland. The Waverley Castle Hotel lived up to all our hopes and expectations and it only took staff an hour or two to get used to their naked guests. They even dressed up on the Halloween night. Nothing was too much trouble and the food was excellent. The Margaret Kerr Palliative Care Unit is reputed to be one of the most well-respected charities in the area and it was wonderful to see our guests dig deep - even without the benefit of pockets!
Colleen Barlow, Fundraising Manager for ‘the difference’, said:
‘We’re grateful that British Naturism chose to make a local donation to The Margaret Kerr Unit at Borders General Hospital and the Palliative Care Service. The money they raised during their visit will help the palliative team go above and beyond to make patients and their families feel more comfortable at a most difficult time of their lives.
James Moutrie, General Manager at Waverley Castle, said:
‘It was a pleasure to host this group and they are welcome back anytime.
For more information visit:
British Naturism bn.org.uk
‘the difference’ - the official charity of NHS Borders (including MKU) thedifference.org.uk
Waverley Castle Hotel https://bespokehotels.com/waverley-castle
Contacts
British Naturism:
Andrew Welch, National PR contact
andrew.welch@bn.org.uk
07774 955138
Colleen Barlow| Fundraising Manager| the difference
colleen.Barlow@borders.scot.nhs.uk
07734 746 774
A Warm Yorkshire Welcome!
Having been to two Great British Skinny Dips already, Dave and I decided to head to Derbyshire for the final event of the season. It was a wise decision! The trees are changing colour, the weather was reasonably warm – and the South Yorkshire Naturists had taken over Bramcote Leisure Centre for an evening of spa-ing and swimming.
The last skinny dip at the centre, which took place in July 2019, drew 44 nudies, organiser John Oliver told me. This time there were 52, with “a good number of first timers.” We drifted between the spa area, with its sauna, steam room, aromatherapy room and hot tub, and the large pool. As John described the evening: “A friendly atmosphere and the usual SYN warm welcome” – and “excellent support from BN members."
Speaking of newbies, we met Ian and Tracy Davidson in the pool. Ian lost 3.5 stone on Weight Watchers, which, he said, gave him the confidence to sign up for the event. He set up a donation page where he had so far raised £195 for the British Heart Foundation. This was his first BN skinny dip, and he’s thinking about joining. This was Tracey’s first event, too, and she even joined in the group photo!
Another first-timer was Gail Frances, from South Wales, who was visiting friends in the area. She saw the event on the SYN website, thought “that looks like an interesting idea,” and decided to pop in. “It was great,” she told us.
We also met Marilyn Lincoln, clothes-free since 1989. She discovered the naturist resort of Vera Playa, Spain, in 2004 and now owns two rental flats there. What’s the best thing about Naturism? we asked: “It’s the fellowship.”
Before Covid, South Yorkshire Naturists held a monthly spa event and a quarterly swim, and the group hopes to return to that schedule.
We've had a great season in 2021 for the Great British Skinny Dip, with many new venues hosting costume-free swims. And they were so popular that there will be regular skinny dips at some of them in 2022! We'll bring you a full report and update soon.
...but before we do, we're looking forward to what might be the last official GBSD event of the year, at Bramcote run by the South Yorkshire Naturists - tomorrow at 7:30pm 23/10/2021. See you there!
Please complete our survey! The closing date is 31st October 2021.
Did you know that British Naturism operates through six regions across the whole of the UK? Everyone who joins BN – with the exception of overseas members – is automatically allocated to one of the regions.
Each region is managed by volunteers who administer what is formally known as the regional association. They oversee organisation of events in the region – creating lots of opportunities to practise Naturism close to home – as well as local campaigning, recruiting new members, supporting national campaigns (such as the Great British Skinny-Dip and Women in Naturism) at local level, and defending the interests of individual members and clubs within the region.
Many people will know that we’ve dedicated much time lately to scrutinising various aspects of our organisation to make sure we deliver - now and in the future. It’s been a long time since we last looked at how effectively regions were working, how well they were meeting members’ expectations, and the relationship between the regional volunteers and the national organisation.
The 2020 Annual General Meeting of British Naturism mandated the Executive Committee to carry out a review, in consultation with interested parties, of they way regions were operating. This work has been undertaken by a working committee within the EC. It’s chaired by Edwin Kilby, the International Director, and its membership includes all the regional coordinators and others.
The working group was unanimous about the importance of building structures that contribute significantly to the overall effectiveness of British Naturism and providing a really valuable local service to all members.
We’ve now launched a survey in order to understand better what members would like and to help the organisation work better. We’d be grateful if you’d complete it.
We’re looking forward to learning what you think!
We’re delighted to announce that our guest on the Forum Live next week (25th October) will be new International Naturist Federation (INF) President, Stéphane Deschênes.
We last spoke to Stéphane in April 2020, in fact, he was one of our first guests. Back then we talked to him about his aspirations for the INF and his own proposed participation, and so we now look forward to hearing about his plans for taking the global organisation for Naturism into the future.
Stéphane is also the owner of Canadian Naturist resort Bare Oaks and hosts the Naturist Living Show podcast. There will be plenty to talk about…
Reserve your place now...
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