The purpose of British Naturism is to protect and promote Naturism. Such a simple statement is easy to communicate but lacks the specific detail we need to guide our activities. We can expand on the sentiment by defining both the overall Vision and more detailed Mission of British Naturism as follows:
British Naturism Vision Statement
The Vision of British Naturism is that:
Naturism is widely accepted throughout the UK. The benefits of Naturism are understood and the opportunities to practise Naturism and the numbers doing so are increasing.
British Naturism Mission Statement
The Mission of British Naturism is to:
1. act as the national body responsible for the stewardship of Naturism in the United Kingdom and to represent the views of Naturists among local, national and international opinion formers;
2. demonstrate the values of Naturism, set standards of behaviour and provide a safe environment for everyone to enjoy Naturism;
3. promote Naturism and social nudity to the public, organisations and society at large;
4. have a positive profile nationally, regionally and within local communities;
5. provide information, advice and guidance about the practice and benefits of Naturism and social nudity;
6. create, support and/or provide opportunities for individuals, couples and families to experience and practise Naturism through local Naturist clubs, group activities, events and social networking;
7. build an inclusive community that empowers individuals who share the Naturist philosophy to interact with likeminded people;
8. advance the health and wellbeing benefits of Naturism, including the benefits to body positivity, emotional, physical and mental health;
9. promote membership and support the retention of existing members;
10. provide, promote and manage opportunities for members to volunteer within the organisation;
11. have a positive impact upon the lives of those with whom we engage;
It is reassuring that these objectives have changed very little over recent years or even decades, bringing confidence that they reflect our long-term philosophy.
Recent discussion concluded that all are important and that they are interconnected so each is needed to achieve the others. There was strong consensus on the top three objectives for the next couple of years, and actions are being taken to address them:
A) Create opportunities to practise Naturism (6)
a. The reopening of Sunfolk in 2024 will provide a direct opportunity for participation.
b. The club network around the country is much larger than a single location and work is to be undertaken to enhance the role of clubs.
c. Events are perhaps the easiest experience to “pick up”, therefore the events portfolio will continue to grow with particular focus on geographical distribution.
d. Swimming is the most common Naturist activity, therefore the Great British Skinny Dip will expand and provide more swimming opportunities.
e. Opportunities for individuals are equally important; the Challenge 60 initiative will hopefully spur people to find opportunities as part of the community.
B) Advance health, wellbeing and body-positivity (8)
a. The portfolio of sporting activities is to be expanded, most notably through the evolution of the National Swimming Gala into a Festival of Sport.
b. Work will continue to secure new venues for Naked Heart Walks.
c. The EveryBody initiative launched successfully in 2023 and the template will be built upon, leaning heavily on the value of positive body image, and combining physical and mental health.
d. New social media approaches will be used to communicate the wellbeing benefits of Naturism to non-Naturists.
e. New opportunities to promote how Naturism can provide a holistic route to good health have been identified through trade shows.
C) Stewardship of Naturism (1)
a. A series of prospective Campaigns to normalise and increase the visibility of Naturism will run through 2024.
b. Our presence on previously unused platforms, such as through the new Women in Naturism podcasts will be used to exert influence.
c. Attempts will be made to forge even stronger relationships with groups with objectives sympathetic with those of British Naturism.
d. With one of our former Directors already appointed Vice President of the International Naturist Federation and other opportunities to assume positions of influence before us, we will work to support the current progress at the international level.
e. Opportunities to protect and promote Naturist values in the political arena will be sought.
Together, the work in the three focus areas will advance all 11 missions and provide a roadmap for Naturism to continue to grow over the next few years. We can all be part of making this happen, be that through getting involved in the new campaigns, participating in something like Challenge 60, or just joining us at events. So, whatever your appetite we hope you will jump in with us.