In May a first ever skinny dip took place at Bude in Cornwall. Why first ever?
- It was the first organised by SW Skinny Dippers to support Mental Health Awareness Week and raise funds for the charity MIND.
- It was the first time a Naturist/skinny dipping event took place on Summerleaze beach.
- Of the 200 or so people who took part, over 60 were first-time Naturists/skinny dippers.
There was camping, pizza and campfires the night before for many and then we all met up on the beach at 7am on a beautiful Sunday morning ready for our dip. Sadly the one thing that couldn't be organised was the sea temperature. The Atlantic Ocean in May was 10.5C so it was a short dip for most! However, everyone was in great spirits and we meet many new people with their own reasons for being there who were quite interested in us as BN members, and recognised the health and well-being aspects they were experiencing through participating in the event.
Many thanks to Ruth and her team who organised the event, and to those who gave of their time freely. The Hub at Bude was provided by the Council for registration and hot drinks, and the lifeguards and St John's Ambulance donated their time. The event raised just shy of £4,500 in fees and pledges - so, a good cause was well-supported, and a little bit more was also done to bring Naturism into the mainstream.
Charis Brundle