About BN

On next Monday's (6 February) Forum Live I will have the pleasure of talking to John Gelder, British Naturism's Volunteering Officer. British Naturism would be powerless without the many volunteers who give their time and energy to the organisation for free, from senior management positions, steering the organisation into the future and ensure the provision of a valuable service to members, to people who make sure events run smoothly, take on a national or regional role, work on the efficie

Sometimes events just click, they just work.  That is precisely what happened with our Bournemouth event this weekend.  From the characterful hotel to the excellent food where the hotel served 200 guests a high standard three-course meal within a two-hour window with no fuss or waiting.  From the craft sessions to the first British Naturism squash tournament that we expect to become an annual part of the British Naturism sporting calendar.  From scheduled sessions such as an improv workshop to s

Our massive events programme gets underway tomorrow with our 'Decades of Dance' weekend in Bournemouth at the Suncliff Hotel. As with all our events - even in the winter - guests can spend the entire weekend without clothes. They can also expect a full programme of daytime activities and nightly entertainment. It's a perfect cure for the winter blues. It's an event - like most BN events - that has been sold out for ages. Check out the full programme of events for 2023 and make sure you

On next week's Forum Live (30 Jan), I'll be joined by a panel of our online naked fitness tutors. Regular visitors to BN's website will know that our online classes were the big success of the lockdowns, gaining us massive media coverage and new members, including many from overseas! Sessions are divided into 'Community' which are free to attend for BN members and those from overseas federations, and 'Naked Fitness' which are open to all, but attract a small fee.  Whether you are a reg

We're delighted to announce a new group holiday exclusively for British Naturism members to Magnolias Natura on the beautiful, sun-drenched island of Gran Canaria. The holiday runs for 7 nights from 26th April to 3rd May 2023 and will be hosted by BN members Roy and Jan. Group activities and gatherings will be arranged. Spaces are limited and so book your accommodation as soon as you can. Note that guests will arrange their own travel and other aspects of their trip. Find out more

For the Forum Live Debate this Monday we will be joined by British Naturism’s Partnership’s Officer, Lachlan Robertson.  In a variation to our normal format, Lachlan will share updates on work done so far and our aims for the year ahead. Building partnerships with other bodies and authorities is key to the normalisation of Naturism, so something we should all be involved with.  Therefore, there will be lots of opportunity for discussion and idea sharing as we seek new relationships. Jo

Club Naturel, based in Norfolk, want to encourage more ladies to try Naturism and enjoy the freedom their members find in it, and have decided to offer two ‘Ladies-Only, Clothing-Optional’ Great British Skinny Dip sessions at their swim, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, catering for all ages. The club’s age range is from 20s to 80s and we meet at a private-hire pool a few miles from Attenborough, near Norwich.  Mandy and Janey are members of Club Naturel and have written about t

I'm looking forward to talking once again to Laurent Luft from FFN, Fédération Française de Naturisme, the French equivalent of BN. In fact, it's more than that as Laurent is involved at a local level with a club in Paris and the International Naturist Federation (INF). He's a busy man. I'll be finding out how things are going with each of those organisations and hear more about the work Laurent does. As the picture shows, Laurent organised a series of naked visits to the Hyperrealism

The Great British Skinny Dip (GBSD) is a British Naturism outreach project which aims to: Encourage acceptance and participation in Naturism across the nation and beyond Promote greater understanding of Naturism and Social Nudity Promote the benefits of Naturism including body confidence and wellbeing Raise funds for our charity partner British Heart Foundation As we enter our eighth year of the campaign, we are looking forward to smashing all records - for the nu

We start the new year with a 'special' ... an actually 'live' Forum Live, direct from Gran Canaria, next Monday 9 January. I'll be talking to Martijn and Richard and their staff about the two resorts they operate on the island; Petit Hotel Natura and Artika Natura. Hopefully, we'll show you around too. Martijn and Richard are well-known to Naturists everywhere as the operators of Gran Hotel Natura in Fuerteventura, which sadly closed a few years ago despite having become one of the world's

...and we're back, in a new year and looking forward to some new, wonderful, uplifting, exhilarating clothes-free experiences. If you are reading this and have never done it, there's never been a better time... And you don't have to wait to get started - British Naturism's flagship week-long, activity-packed festival week is now open for booking. It takes place in Somerset from the 3rd to the 9th of July.  Nudefest combines an incredible line-up of daytime activities with nighttime ent

Over the last ten years we have seen tremendous growth in the acceptance of Naturism, and that has come from standing together.  Whether or not you feel that you have personally contributed to that, you will have made a difference if you have been a paid-up member of British Naturism. We acknowledged that the current financial situation and rising prices could mean that many of even our most ardent supporters may have to forgo some of the things they love. To me, the peace, joy and friendship th

Even though things slow down as Christmas is upon us, you can still get wonderful things from the UK's national Naturist organisation ... there is plenty going on within our community, on- and off-line, including plenty of free content: Join in our online events - from yoga to a pub quiz night, and interviews to fitness classes.  Check out the calendar of regional events and swims Raise money for our national charity, British Heart Foundation, at a Great British Skinny Dip or

As BN members know, The Gathering is a wildly popular annual Naturist event in Scotland. This year, it drew more than 100 guests - not just regulars but also newbies. One of its star attractions is the famous “Burns in the Buff Supper”, where guests and haggis are piped into the dining room. We’re unable to return to the same venue for the 2023 bash - and this is where you come in!  Can you suggest other suitable venues? If so, please get in touch. Let’s make sure this Naturist gem fin

Next Monday (19 December)  in the last (sorry!) Forum Live of the year, I'll have the pleasure of the company of my colleague, Mark Walsh, BN's events manager. I'll be talking to him about the huge range of highly successful events we've hosted this year and hear about all of those we can look forward to in what already promises to be a fantastic 2023! Join the session on the night via the BN shop.

If you're looking for something special for the Naturist in your life this Christmas then check out the BN shop.  You'll find a variety of items including clothing - sweatshirts, hoodies, t-shirts, beanie hats and caps - beach towels, mugs, doormats, car stickers, drinks bottles, aprons, mousemats, tea towels - and even gift vouchers. What's more, BN members get a 15% discount on everything! Visit the BN shop today!

The next quarterly Ask the Executive session will take place Monday week, 12 December at 7:30pm. It's a chance for members to meet and ask questions of British Naturism's Executive Committee and hear from officers and other volunteer role holders, including and update from Partnerships Officer, Lachlan Robertson with an opportunity for a discussion. It's open to all British Naturism members and is expected to last an hour. Questions for the Directors and Executive Committee members on

Next Monday, 5th December, I will have the pleasure of talking to Ian Munt, BN's recently-appointed volunteer Sports officer. By day, Ian  holds a senior role within a large corporation, setting up programmes; building risk assessments, developing policies and training programmes, and engaging with stakeholders in the UK, Europe and Asia. Six months into the role he has attended and helped with National and international sporting events, most recently the INF Swimming Gala in Belgrade, Serb

Next Monday, 28th November I am delighted to announce that our guest on the ever-popular Forum Live will be Aleksandra Karpowicz. Aleksandra is an award-winning artist based in London, working with video, photography, and performance. We became aware of her recently when she asked us to help find willing nude models for her latest work, They Knew No Storms. Many of you answered the call and reported back on a wonderful, uplifting experience.  In her art, Aleksandra explores theme

‘This year marks a big milestone for the INF, celebrating 50 years, and boy did Team BN rise to the occasion, with a team of 12 swimmers, aged 10 to 73,’ writes BN Sports Officer, Ian Munt. Team BN flew in to Belgrade in force from Luton and were escorted by Goran Filipović Fića (President of Naturist Organisation of Serbia (NOS)) to our hotel which was only 30 minutes away. An early night followed dinner. 60 athletes from eight nations congregated after breakfast, pleasantly smiling a

In July this year I had the pleasure of speaking to Mick Davie, President of the Australian Naturist Federation (ANF) who brought us up to date with activity and plans for Naturists and Naturism in Australia. They also launched a big new festival this year called Nude Up which, as our picture shows, included the incredible opportunity for naked hot-air ballooning. It was such as success that they are running it again in 2023. Come and hear what's planned from organiser Josh, and about progr

'It’s hard to believe, but it’s exactly five years since the inaugural Naturist swim took place at the Wigton Pool, Cumbria' says Ron O'Hare. As soon as the trial monthly swims were agreed following a suggestion from me to the pool that they consider hosting costume-free swims, BN sent out several press releases to the Cumbria newspaper editors and radio stations and in a very short time, I found myself talking about this new venture to several journalists and radio presenters throughout Cu

Next Monday, 14 November, at 7:30pm we'll be bringing you an update on the great work, activity and fundraising that has gone on this summer in connection with our charity partner British Heart Foundation.  Come and hear from members of the BN/BHF team (which includes representatives of both) about the many Naked Heart Walks and Great British Skinny Dips and learn what's planned for 2023 - you'll be amazed! We'll also be talking about how YOU can get involved and make a difference to b

Following our successful summer dining events at the Mill Arms, why not join BN for your first Christmas lunch of the 2022 season! We’ve arranged to hire the private room at the Mill Arms in Hampshire for lunch on Saturday 19 November. The private room has its own bar and toilets, so it will be possible to be naked throughout the event if you wish. There is also a skittle alley if you’re feeling energetic! Your ticket price will include choice of two or three courses from a set menu. T

A frequently discussed topic among long term Naturists is “What constitutes a Naturist?”.  Do you need to follow a very prescriptive set of rules or is simply considering yourself a Naturist enough?  That is precisely the question we will tackle this week in the Forum Live Debate, next Monday, 7 November.  We expect some strong opinions on this one! Join us on the night via the BN shop