It gives me great pleasure to announce the appointment of Nick Mayhew-Smith to the EC as Clubs Officer.
Nick was one of the authors of Bare Beaches and Bare Britain and has written many articles about Naturism for both Naturist and non-Naturist periodicals over many years. He is a keen historian who knows the legacy of Naturism and British Naturism, a feature that is very valuable in the Clubs Officer role. Nick designed the first British Naturism website and is the person behind the “Nothing’s Better” slogan. He is a forum regular, and all forum users will be aware of the depth of thought that goes into his posting. He is a keen advocate of community building, a skill that has been evident in all of his contributions to the organisation thus far and will be crucial in the new role. By profession Nick is a journalist and academic, meaning that his longstanding passion for Naturism is matched by professional experience.
Nick is a committed and recognised member of the White House Club in Surrey, one of the thriving clubs that form the bedrock of UK Naturism. However, Nick is also a champion of free-range Naturism including hiking and skinny dipping in both the UK and abroad. This blend of views is rare and likely to be invaluable as he knows the challenges that clubs need to handle to be safe and viable, but also knows the value of looking outward and avoiding isolationism.
Clubs Officer is an EC role that was created as recently as 2021, when it was considered that engagement and support of clubs was essential to the ongoing success of UK Naturism. Historically, British Naturism (formerly CCBN) was an association of clubs and although membership has evolved over the decades to emphasise the importance of individual, clubs remain a cornerstone of the organisation. Many of our members are also members of clubs and clubs provide a particularly safe space for those timid about trying Naturism. They have a tremendous amount of resource, both in terms of physical assets and expertise of members. They also present challenges, as their autonomy means that British Naturism does not control their decision making. This is a good thing as it means that decisions about Naturism do not rest with the EC alone and protect the concept of Naturism being a community where all our views matter. The challenges before Nick are to achieve positive integration across clubs so the clubs thrive, and individual members get the opportunities they seek. This is no small task, but we are confident in Nick’s ability to tackle it.
I’m sure Nick will share his own thoughts in due course, but for now, let us welcome him.