The summer and autumn of 2023 have seen some major changes to the British Naturism Executive with many new additions and several people reaching the end of their term. As a result, several long-term projects have reached fruition this year, so it is a good time to look back at what has happened.
Engagement
Over three years we have been building communication, both with members and with other interested bodies.
- Our eZine now reaches 10,500 subscribers every week, including many British Naturism members and other Naturists. However, we also have a multitude of news outlets on our mailing list and this is why so many of our news stories appear in the national press a few days later.
- The New Member Experience Program now contacts joiners 10 times during the first year to help them feel part of the community. It includes three separate surveys so we can learn what they are looking for from their membership and gain general feedback.
- Our Lapsed Mailing Program contacts members who have not renewed to learn why and encourage them to re-join. A good percentage do return.
The Face of Advertising
We receive regular approaches from companies seeking to use Naturism to promote their product. We are extremely selective with these requests as we would not want to be endorsing products that do not align with our values or see Naturism used as titillation.
- The strongest example of 2023 has been the partnership with Mob Kitchen, funded by Stella Artois to create video shorts combining cooking with Naturist activities such as yoga, cycling, foraging, and swimming. The purpose was to celebrate the value of nature in our food and our lives and the product has made Naturism more visible.
Naked Education
In 2022 we started working with the production company, Betty TV, to create a television series for Channel 4 about body image and self-worth. Released this April, the series was ground-breaking for featuring uncensored nudity on terrestrial television before the watershed and addressing the attitudes of young adolescents to the human body. The stories of people who had overcome a spectrum of physical and mental health issues through nudity was compelling. The reactions of 14–17-year-olds to these stories and the revelation that our bodies are normal while most media-portrayed bodies are fake was deeply moving. Although the series provoked some backlash, it stands as a powerful resource for those wanting to listen and address their own body issues.
Research
In 2021 we approved funding for Prof Keon West to conduct a study into how their parents’ attitude to nudity affects the mental well-being of children, both at the time and in later life. The study, “Think of the children! Experiencing family nudity in childhood nurtures mental wellbeing into adulthood” was published in May on behalf of the National Children’s Bureau in the psychology journal, Children & Society. The studies found that not only was nudity harmless to children but that a positive family attitude to nudity during childhood was associated with an overall improvement in mental health. This study, also partly funded by the INF, has been translated into multiple languages and dismisses any concerns about risk to Naturist children.
Global Impact
The International Naturist Federation (INF) has embarked on a process of change and modernisation, as it seeks to become more visible and effective. British Naturism has played its role in effecting that change. The elections of Stéphane Deschênes as President and Edwin Kilby – then one of BN’s directors – as Vice President, have brought in new blood and new approaches. Last year the INF adopted a new and ambitious mission and vision statement, and this year the INF’s shift in attitude has already manifested in:
- The Challenges to Naturism conference in Bonn.
- The 70th Anniversary celebration at CHM Montalivet, which featured a review of the work being done to modernise the organisation, and consideration of how people journey into Naturism.
- The funding of research and a strategy to support outreach initiatives to promote Naturism
- Formation of a “rapid reaction” team with a view to spreading Naturism’s message more effectively and reacting in a coordinated way to events that affect Naturism worldwide.
Legal Support
The legal defence of members has been the bedrock of British Naturism for decades. When Peter and Christine Wright indicated a year ago that it was time to step back from some of their duties, we were not willing to weaken our legal position and instead have taken significant steps to make the feature stronger.
- The creation of a funded legal helpline to provide immediate professional help when members run into difficulties with the police, something which is invariably due to the misapplication of the law.
- The creation of new roles for Peter and Christine to defend members in civil matters, such as inappropriate action by employers.
- The formation of a team of legally qualified volunteers with expertise across the law to protect the interests of members and advance our campaigning objectives.
- The assembly of a wider team for campaigning on legal issues than we have had at any time in the past.
Support for Minority Groups
Young British Naturism (YBN) has existed for a long time and the Women in Naturism campaign has been growing over several years, but both have taken significant strides forward this year.
- The Women in Naturism officer has been elevated to an EC role so that engagement of female Naturists is ingrained in all our strategic thinking.
- A new YBN leadership has been appointed and the YBN seat on the EC is now permanently occupied so that support for youth is now marching forwards.
- The time of the Equality and Diversity Officer is now freed up to focus on other groups, including the differently abled and Naturists from other ethnic backgrounds.
Sunfolk
In 2020 the Sun-folk Society passed stewardship of one of the oldest UK Naturist clubs over to British Naturism to protect the site for future generations of Naturists. We knew at the time that the post-war buildings were approaching the end of their serviceable life, and that serious investment would be needed to see the site return to its full potential. Gaining planning permission to work on the greenbelt site has been a long process but in 2023 we have finally been able to begin work, closing our gates through this year to allow construction of a new clubhouse and additional services that set a new standard. The work has been designed to reflect our values, reflecting empathy with nature, and provide accessibility to the differently abled. Sunfolk has already proven its value in showing how good Naturism can be and providing a resource that supports media engagement and creates opportunities for people to sample Naturism for the first time in a safe environment. We are all very excited for when Sunfolk reopens next spring.
Major Events
Our major events have again provided opportunities for many members to come together.
- Nudefest, Windermere Woodland Weekend and NKD festivals have again sold out, despite increased capacity.
- Hotel events such as Bournemouth and Blackpool have been equally successful.
- The Gathering has found a new home in Stirling after losing previous venues during COVID-19.
The British Heart Foundation Partnership
The Naked Heart Walks in favour of the British Heart Foundation have really come into their own this year. The relationship has elevated our status with prospective venues such as Powderham Castle and the RSPB Rainham Marshes reserve, meaning that we have achieved Naturist use of some spectacular locations. The number of Naked Heart Walks has almost tripled this year, meaning that there are more opportunities than ever for nervous non-Naturists to give it a go under the banner of charity fundraising.
Outreach
Face-to-face discussions with non-Naturists remains a priority and our engagement through trade shows has matured to reach new levels in 2023. With the restrictions on numbers from COVID-19 lifted, the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC made us visible to 110,000 visitors during which time we held 2,300 worthwhile conversations and gave out 2,000 copies of our Guide to Naturism. We are also returning to the Mind Body Spirit Festival where we will engage an entirely different audience.
EveryBody
This year British Naturism did something new. Rather than restricting our attentions to card-carrying Naturists, we have reached out to those who are comfortable with or curious about social nudity by launching the EveryBody initiative. Developed over several years through NKD and Naked Social, the EveryBody brand focusses less on the Naturist label and more on the positive attitude towards our bodies and the mutual respect that we all share. The EveryBody Festival this year was just the first step in what we expect to be a long-running campaign to normalise nudity, increasing both acceptance and participation.