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Launching our NEW Naked Heart Walks website!

Our website dedicated to all things Naked Heart Walks is now live at nakedheartwalk.org.uk!
It includes information and Frequently Asked Questions about the Naked Heart Walk initiative and how they will raise funds for our partner charity British Heart Foundation. There's a link to the tickets site where you can find out more about the individual walks and participate. 
For those that want to spread the word further, there's a set of downloadable cartoons for publicity and social media use, and a sign up to our regular newsletter.
We've already got SEVEN Naked Heart Walks on sale, including one in a few days time at Adlington Gardens, Cheshire on 26th March.
Got a suitable venue in mind? Let us know!
Want to join our team of volunteer organisers? Let us know that too! You'll find contact information on the new website.
 
 

BN Windermere weekend - booking now!

It's becoming a staple of the British Naturism year - a two night back-to-nature camping break including meditation, walks, skinny dips and live music.
Fellfoot Wood is a working woodland and is stunningly beautiful. It is two minutes from the National Trust's Fell Foot Park and the banks of Windermere. We'll take it over for a weekend once again in June 2023.
It will be a laid-back affair with a focus on nature, wellness and natural healing - plus there will be live entertainment too. Naked fell walks and skinny dips in local tarns come as standard!
Book your place in the BN shop

The Forum Live - interviewing Victoria Bateman

I'm excited to be welcoming Victoria to the Forum Live next Monday 20 March, for her second appearance, this time following the recent publication of her new book Naked Feminism - Breaking the Cult of Female Modesty. Our previous session turned out to be one of the most popular - and definitely one of the most stimulating. 
Victoria is an academic economist and Fellow at the University of Cambridge, and she’s also known for using her body in art and protest, whether to challenge assumptions and stigma about women’s bodies, to confront sexism in economics, or to fight Brexit.
She has posed nude for artists including Anthony Connolly, with nude portraits displayed at the Mall Galleries in 2014 and 2019, and has given naked performances at, amongst others, the Dartington literary festival and the Cambridge Juncton theatre.
She believes that academics should not only embrace the power of words but should also push social boundaries in order to reveal and confront practices and policies that are harmful and unnecessary. Freedom is the theme that unites much of her work and her utopia is a world in which every woman is free to do what she wants with her own body. 
Members of British Naturism and those of other Naturist federations can join the session on the night via the BN shop at 19:30.
Not a member? click here to join online!
 
In the latest issue of BN magazine (BN235 - Spring 2023) BN member Sheila Maycock reviewed Victoria's new book which we publish here for your information:
A common question in British Naturism is ‘why do women find it more challenging to engage in social nudity and Naturist activities?’. This book provides 300+ pages of reasons. Widely researched with 30 pages of academic references it charts an historical perspective, necessarily with a broad brush encompassing continents and countries, centuries and societies.  It explores how the cult of female modesty has impacted the lives of women and continues to do so. The causes are recognised and collated. The dangers such as lack of access to education, forced and child marriage, genital cutting, rape or the threat of rape as an instrument of war, restricting access to paid work or freedom of movement, intimate partner violence or lack of choice regarding fertility are documented in gloomy detail. The secret battle between puritanical feminists and naked feminists is revealed.
The book tells the story of when, how and why societies became obsessed with women’s bodily modesty, exploring the many adverse consequences that have resulted. The author not only utilises her considerable brain and academic expertise to produce the detail of how the nude became rude but also puts her own naked body out there, personally courting the disapprobation which she documents as the female lot across the centuries and across the globe. You just need to have a quick look at Twitter for a few examples.
This is not a call to arms for every woman to be a nudist. It is, however, about respecting every woman, regardless of what she chooses to wear or how she chooses to live her life, including her sex life. It is a call for societal change to end slut shaming, whorephobia and change the mindset of those who consider women’s uncovered bodies “a disruptive force in wider society”. To ensure that every woman has choice, poverty must be tackled alongside the modesty cult. The influence of trafficking and modern slavery is explored as much in relation to domestic labour or care work as in the perhaps more expected realm of sex workers. A dearth of resources leaves women with fewer choices and opportunities and ties them to exploitable occupations.
Outside of Islamic society it may be easier to object to compulsory hijabs, virginity testing and honour killings. Naked Feminism makes us aware of the insidious effect of the cult of female modesty within all religion: Christianity, starting at Eve and blaming womankind for the sins of men, to the newly emerging Evangelical purity culture; Judaism with gender segregation on the rise; Neo-Confucianism with its radical seclusion for women. Whilst religion is often blamed for repressing women, many other factors are charted. Biology, matrilineal or patrilineal kinship, geography, economics, property rights and their link to patriarchy, warfare, politics, population pressure and sociology are all shown to play a significant and for me, thought provoking, part.
Naked Feminism is an economic tome written by an economist with research interests in economic growth from an historical perspective. She’s a very impressive scholar. Yet it is by no means a dry academic text. What impresses me is the breadth of her exploration of the topic combining academic expertise with passion and skill.  Each time I looked at it, I found something new and intriguing in it. There is some repetition of themes, which attest to the breadth of the authors knowledge and  the wealth of material to which she refers.
What may be missing and what I would find interesting is a wider appreciation of the psychological and emotional impact of the modesty cult on women’s lives and mental health.
However I find the economists’ view fascinating, informative and enlightening, helping to question my own norms and world view alongside national and international customs as they constrain female lives.
This book saddens, shocks and alarms whilst revolutionising the way we think about and value women. Ms Bateman traces dualisms of many kinds: Madonna versus whore, respectable versus disgraced, chaste versus unholy, hot versus slutty. These are the kinds of conceptual structures around which moral values play out, and they are essential to understanding what nudity means to us and the influence that the cult of female modesty has on all societies.
Little escapes her wrath; raunch culture where value is only held by the ‘hot and sexy’ with women as prime culprits, putting others down to ensure their own position. The control and criminalisation, bullying and condemnation of sexuality and reproduction. Victim blaming is challenged as a construct of a society that bases its’ value and respect for a woman solely on her bodily modesty. Feminists too are held to account for problematising women who monetise their bodies and for judgmentally buying into the modesty cult. Campaigners are urged to embrace ‘My body, my choice’ in terms of ensuring that all women have choices and that women who may choose to monetise their bodies have the same rights and respect as those who monetise their brain. There seems a long road to travel towards the end of women being viewed as ‘sex objects’ and in changing the way we as a society judge women, rather than changing (and restricting) women’s behaviour.
Naked Feminism calls on the reader to be more tolerant of the choices made by individual women, ‘whether that is to don a veil, to sit topless on the beach, to uncover their hair, or to strip for money’. I sincerely hope this book will be a catalyst for change at governmental level as well as at a personal level so that systemic change can better support the ability of women to make real choices about their lives, livelihoods, relationships and their body - naked or not.
Naked Feminism - Breaking the Cult of Female Modesty by Victoria Bateman, was published by Polity on March 10 2023.
 



 
 

M&S: Love Your Boobs

It might be a publicity campaign aimed at selling more bras, but kudos to Marks & Spencer for celebrating the diversity of the nude body by using unexpurgated body casts.
Read the story here https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/media/press-releases/ms-unveils-love-your-boobs-art-installation-londons-south-bank.
'As the nation’s leading bra retailer, with 2000 expert bra fitters fitting more than 900,000 customers every year, M&S commissioned the installation to normalise the uniqueness of boobs and encourage people to show them some TLC with a bra fit ... the unique installation features the chests of 16 M&S colleagues including that of a woman who underwent mastectomy surgery and another who had a prophylactic mastectomy and reconstructive surgery to lower the chances of getting breast cancer due to family history.'

I'm a Naturist! Tell 'Just One Person'

The more that people know about Naturism, the better things will be for Naturists and Naturist places. Many people don’t know that they know a Naturist and assume that we are still that fringe minority on the edges of society. We understand the individual fears, possible complications and desire for an easy life, but we want to encourage you to help Naturism in the UK to become normal. While it remains hidden and misguided, incorrect ideas about Naturism will continue.
It’s daunting, but our campaign encourages you not to stress. We've been asking you to tell Just One Person and that experience may give you the courage to tell a lot more. People have found it easy to pick someone who would not be judgemental. A good place to start is to talk in a low-key way about a skinny dip on holiday or Naturist beach you ‘found’. Many people get a positive or sympathetic reaction. Feedback says that you will feel better having told someone – it may actually be a relief!
As Naturists we are in danger of killing this natural life choice by fear. We need to talk about it for it to survive and be prepared to acknowledge the pursuit that enriches our lives. Don’t know what to say? Download the ‘How to talk about Naturism’ factsheet from the BN website.
Here are some more experiences from our members as posted on the BN forum... Read more here
Currently enjoying holiday at CHM Montalivet. Just had a text conversation with some friends back home asking: “Which resort are you at exactly?” So I sent them the link to the CHM website. Can add them to the list of friends who know!
Well, quite a week! Talking to a friend a few days ago, the topic of Naturism cropped up. She was not really surprised when I told her that I was a Naturist, and was quite interested, and open to the idea of trying it! This evening, we arranged to go for a wild swim, and I told her that I didn't own a cossie. This didn't put her off, and indeed, it wasn't long before her own cossie was hanging on a riverside branch! We had a lovely evening and a return visit is on the cards soon.
I was walking the dog in our local park yesterday evening when I met a lady who is also one of the regulars in the park. We always talk and I was asking about her day, and she asked about mine. I told her that I had been to the beach and it was a Naturist one and had a lovely time. ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘you look like a Naturist!’ (Do we look different?) She went on to say how much she missed swimming in the sea. Just then her daughter, who I have never met before, arrived with her dog. ‘This is Paul.”, her mother said. ‘He's a Naturist you know.’ It will not be long until all the dog walkers know!
I told two people separately at a Friends (Quaker) meeting house I sometimes go to. Both just accepted it without question or surprise within the context of our discussion, other than a brief bit about the resources saved in washing clothes. Of course, Friends have some history with nudity, mainly as a form of protest or activism in the early days.
I was at a craft fair today selling my wood-turning items including pens which were on display and three people picked up my ‘Get Naked’ inscribed pen. I told them I had made that one as I am a Naturist - no bad reactions from any of them.
I retired a year ago and yesterday met up with my old boss for the first time since. Inevitably the question of what I have been up to in retirement came up. So I explained that I was a Naturist and have taken up the volunteer role of Assistant Warden at Sunfolk and consequently spend a regular amount of time doing that. She wasn’t fazed at all and was interested in what attracted me to it and we had a good discussion about demographics and why women may be less represented in social nudity.
I was talking to a colleague before our shift and she asked me if I'd been away. I told her I'd been to Euronat, a big Naturist resort on the Atlantic coast in France. Her response was ’Wow, I'd love to go on a Naturist holiday. Hang on a sec, you do mean nudity, not a nature holiday doing bird watching?’ I assured her that this was exactly what I meant and she told me that she and her mum had often joked about a nudist holiday as nudity was so common in their house. Hopefully I've sown the seed ...

New Naked Heart Walk announced!

Naked Heart Walks are sponsored walks taking place in stunning locations aimed at raising awareness of the exhilarating feelings that come with being without clothes and the wonderful accepting, non-judgemental, fun community you become part of - and at the same time raising funds for our charity partner, British Heart Foundation.
These walks are not just for Naturists, so please spread the word. To make it easier for newcomers to join in, the walks will be clothes-optional - although we expect many who are clothed at the start not to be by the end!
Today we are pleased to announce our seventh Naked Heart Walk for 2023 - at Leonardslee Gardens, West Sussex. Tickets are on sale now.
We're also hosting a photoshoot on 25 March aimed at getting some sparkling images for promotion.
Get ready to shed your clothes and raise money at:
Find details of all the Naked Heart Walks and buy tickets
Other locations already on sale are:
Adlington Hall, Cheshire - 26 March
Powderham Castle, Devon - 20 May
Cross Morecambe Bay, Lancashire - 11 June
The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, Ripon, Yorkshire - 1 July
RSPB Rainham Marshes, Essex - 23 July
Watersedge, Bishampton, Worcestershire - 23 July
...and there are more to come, watch this space! It's also not too late to make suggestions for other venues - we'd particularly like to see fundraising walks in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England. Anyone?
 
Photo credit - Richard Bloom

Calling all Resourceful Nudies to the Morecambe Bay Naturist Club!

For those of you who may have been tempted to join a landed Naturist club but put off a decision out of concerns about high fees – delay no more!
Morecambe Bay Naturist Club sits on a 10-acre woodland site, “Silverglades,” near Lancaster, in Lancashire. the Club say: “We are a back-to-basics camping site, which means we do not have services such as gas, electric or mains water. Nor do we have fancy buildings, pools, saunas, hook-ups for caravans, or any permanent buildings.”
What they do have, however, is a basic clubhouse, a BBQ area, and “lots of nature to enjoy.” And what they’d love to see is lots of self-sufficient Naturists enjoying it!
MBNC ‘s minimalism means that its annual fees are amazingly low: £55 for single people, £70 for couples and families. The club welcomes everyone equally, and there are no waiting lists. Drop by for an initial visit: If you like what you see, you can sign up for membership, which runs from April to March.
You’ll find lots of gorgeous photos and information on the club’s website
For additional info on joining, BN members can access a topic on the forum: https://www.bn.org.uk/forums/topic/31590-landed-club-seeks-new-members-singlescouplesfamilies/#comment-592146

From the Board Room

Our quarterly update about what British Naturism's management team have been concerned with...
Arrivals and departures
Alana, in our general office, has left on maternity leave. We wish her well and look forward to good news soon!
Sunfolk
As you would expect, a considerable amount of time of the management team over the past few months has been devoted to the Sunfolk development. The good news is that, at the time of writing, approval has been given to our contractors to start work. We expect the first phase of the renovations will be completed in time for visitors to Sunfolk to enjoy a splendid 2024 season – perfect timing for the 60th anniversary of BN – with the redeveloped clubhouse. Which brings us to ...
60th anniversary of BN in 2024
The executive committee has been thinking about how to mark this milestone. Ideas range from an anniversary jamboree or rally, a world record attempt (some readers might recall that BN broke the record for the most naked people on a rollercoaster in 2019), to exhibitions and individual challenges. We don’t claim a monopoly of wisdom and, of course, inspiration and ideas from members would be very welcome. It could be an especially exciting year to be part of BN.
Website and forum
The Executive Committee has been discussing the BN website and the members’ forum, and a working group has been created to examine the issues in greater detail. The website needs to be attractive and easily navigated, and its front page needs to be effective both in “selling” Naturism, and in attracting non-members to join BN. The entire site is run on a system called Invision, a highly sophisticated software platform designed for hosting websites and forums like ours. Although it has served us well, Invision is not the only such system and, like all platforms, has some limitations. Nobody should assume we will move away from this system, but it makes sense to review it from time to time.
Financial matters
At this time of the year the attention of the Directors turns to the budget and the annual accounts. We are on target to produce the annual report for 2022 in time to be circulated with the summer magazine, consistently with our rules.
An innovation introduced following the AGM was the possibility of members becoming patrons or benefactors when they renew their membership. This involves offering a higher subscription than the standard one in order to give extra support to our organisation. Naturally we would like to encourage members who are in a position to do so to support BN in this way, and we hope the take-up of this opportunity will enable us to minimise subscription increases in future years.
Regions
Following the decision made at the AGM to make reforms to the way in which regions operate, some relatively changes have also been made to regional boundaries. These are:
→ Cumbria moves from Scotland, North-East England and Northern Ireland (SANER) region to North-west
→ Leicestershire moves from Eastern region to Yorkshire and East Midlands
→ Watford moves from London and South-east (LASER) region to Eastern
These changes took effect on 1 January. If you live in one of the affected areas it will not affect your ability to go to regional events – you can attend events anywhere – but the changes make more sense geographically and administratively.
Regional organisers will be monitoring all the changes made to regions carefully over the coming months.
International matters
The INF will hold its annual European meeting in March in Bonn. For the first time, this normally routine meeting will be accompanied by a conference, the theme of which is “Challenges to Naturism”, making it a much more interesting event. 
The INF is marking its 70th anniversary this year with a special event at Montalivet in western France, where it was officially founded in 1953, in September. Everyone is welcome.
 
Don't forget the Forum Live 'Ask the Executive' session next Monday, 13 March...

BN235 - Spring 2023

The Spring issue of our members' magazine is out now!
As always, it’s chock-full of news, information, listings and fully illustrated features and articles. It's also had a little make-over.
Contents include:
All the events you can look forward to and a round-up of everything that’s been going on - including last year’s Alton Towers weekend Book Review - Sheila Maycock reviews Naked Feminism - breaking the cult of female modesty by Victoria Bateman The Power of BN Sunfolk: How having our own site benefits Naturism Sports Round-up: Everything you need to know about BN sporting activities Freewilding and Festivals: How Neil Cox cycled 1000 miles for Naturism, Nature and Mental Health! You are Not Alone: Hints and tips for coming to a naked event on your own In travel, we talk small campsites, venues in New Zealand, Croatian sailing boats – and other enticing nudie holiday choices BN235 will soon be landing on the doormats of members of British Naturism who can also download a digital version. There's even a topic open for you to share your views with other members (log in required).
Our quarterly magazine is just one of the many benefits a BN membership provides. If you’re not a member yet, why not make today the day you join us? 
 

 

More Great British Skinny Dips! More Naked Heart Walks!

On a grey, dispiriting day here in the North West, it’s hard to imagine that soon there will be sun and warmth (okay, that’s not guaranteed in the UK, but one can hope). And where there’s summery weather, there are naked people enjoying it!
Which brings me, naturally, to the Great British Skinny Dip. I’ve just checked the calendar and found that many Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays over the next few months now list multiple swims, with a few weekday events tossed in for good measure.
And the calendar continues to fill up. I want to give a shout-out to three new dips. First, launching 25 March, we have the Worsley, Manchester swim, which has for the first time been added to the GBSD line-up! It’s a monthly event from March through December (and, we hope, on into 2024).
The second new GBSD is the Portslade Naturist Beach swim in Brighton on 25 June, and last, but certainly not least, is the 22 July Eastney Beach Skinny Dip in Southsea.
Remember, we fling ourselves naked into the water for many reasons, one of the best being to raise needed funds for our charity partner, the British Heart Foundation.
Speaking of the BHF, since I last wrote, tickets have gone on sale for three more Naked Heart Walks!
A brand-spanking-new return walk at Adlington Hall, Cheshire – 26 March.
The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, Ripon, Yorkshire - 1 July. 
Watersedge, Bishampton, Worcestershire - 23 July, where there will also be a Great British Skinny Dip that day!
Tickets are still on sale for these NHWs as well:
Powderham Castle, Devon - 20 May
Cross Morecambe Bay - 11 June
RSPB Rainham Marshes, Essex - 23 July
There are more NHWs in the works. And remember, if you don’t see any Naturist events in your area – and you know of suitable venues for walks or swims – don’t be shy! Get in touch!

The Forum Live - Ask the Executive

The next quarterly Ask the Executive session will take place Monday week, 13 March 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.
It's open to all British Naturism members and is expected to last an hour. Questions for the Directors and Executive Committee members on any relevant subject will be welcome. To help us manage the session and to provide the best possible answers we would welcome questions in advance, and we will take these first. Subject to time constraints we will take questions on the night as well. 
If you have a question, please send it to headoffice@bn.org.uk
Join the session here
  
Photo by Marius Oprea on Unsplash 

NEW Naked Heart Walk announced - Adlington Hall, Cheshire

Naked Heart Walks are sponsored walks taking place in stunning locations aimed at raising awareness of the exhilarating feelings that come with being without clothes and the wonderful accepting, non-judgemental, fun community you become part of - and at the same time raising funds for our charity partner https://www.bn.org.uk/news/news/bhf/british-heart-foundation-r631/.
Today we're announcing our sixth Naked Heart Walk for 2023 and it's the first to return to a previous venue - Adlington Hall near Macclesfield in Cheshire on Sunday 26 March tickets are now available.
Other Naked Heart Walks already on sale are:
Powderham Castle, Devon - 20 May
Cross Morecambe Bay, Lancashire - 11 June
The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, Ripon, Yorkshire - Saturday 1 July
RSPB Rainham Marshes, Essex - 23 July
Watersedge, Bishampton, Worcestershire - 23 July
Find details of all the Naked Heart Walks and buy tickets
...and there are more to come, watch this space.
We'll also be launching a dedicated website at nakedheartwalk.org.uk. You can also follow us on Twitter.

The Forum Live - interviewing Mark Storey

My next guest on The Forum Live will be Naturist author, editor, festival producer and film-maker Mark Storey.
Mark has enjoyed nudity outdoors since his early teens, skinny-dipping after fishing for trout in the Sierra mountains of California. He joined The Sequoians, a small landed club in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1980, and and joined the Naturist Action Committee the late 1980s. He has written for 'N' magazine, the quarterly journal of The Naturist Society since 1995 and is now Consulting Editor. He wrote Cinema au Naturel: A History of Nudist Films and co-authored The World’s Best Nude Beaches and Resorts as well as producing Naturist videos Chasing the Sun and Naked In-Sight. He is also the co-creator and unofficial Director of World Naked Gardening Day.
We will have plenty to talk about! I'm also keen to get Mark's view on the changes in Naturism and attitudes to nudity that he has seen over the years.
For one night only, to fit with Mark's schedule (and the time difference between the UK and the West coast of America) the Forum Live will move to 19:30pm Thursday 9th March.
 Join on the night from the BN shop - the usual Monday session link will work.
 

 

Good times at the 2023 Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC

The 2023 Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC Birmingham has provided an incredible opportunity to place Naturism and nude recreation in the public eye this past week.  Over the week we have given out 2000 copies of our guide to Naturism and by our estimate held over 2300 worthwhile conversations.  In addition to those direct interactions, British Naturism is fortunate to have our stand on the main thoroughfare, meaning that all of the 110,000 visitors have seen that we are there, and that Naturism can be a staple part of the camping and holidaying experience.

Visitors engage with us in a range of ways and our ambassadors are skilled at engaging people in the way that suits them.  Some people want to grab a guide to read later, some people want to chat broadly about the philosophy, while some are looking for specific information.  It is interesting to note that although men lead the conversation amongst those with extensive Naturist experience, most of those who have not tried it but are interested are women.  It is this group of potentially interested people that provide the opportunity to advance naturism through something like the Caravan show.  With a hot summer ahead of us, it is probable that many of those women, their friends, and their partners will take their first steps toward reclaiming ownership of their own bodies.

Our success in engaging people at the show is based on the fact that we are not trying to take money from visitors.  All other exhibitors are looking to sell a product, we are there to discuss a way of thinking and living and share our positive experiences.  People stop and chat because they don’t feel under pressure to spend.  We suspect that many will join British Naturism, but simply making people aware that there are 7 million naturists in the UK will encourage them to give it a try or at the very least be accepting of the Naturists around them.

The conversations at the Caravan show are one of the most effective activities we undertake to promote Naturism and we are already looking forward to next year.

The Forum Live - Marketing Naturism

So we're going to turn the spotlight inwards next Monday, 27 February and have a look at how (and why) we deal with the marketing of Naturism.
Many marketing professionals over the years who work with actual, physical products that you can touch, put in a trolley and then take home have asked me how on earth do you deal with something so intangible. Come and find out the answer. 
I'll also talk about the strategy we are pursuing to ensure that BN and Naturism in the UK not only grows but thrives, and talk a little about some of the specific initiatives we're using to reach people. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions, suggestions and offers of help! Changing people's attitudes and/or getting more people out of their swimsuits is something we can all do!
Join on the night via the BN shop

Promote and protect - a cornerstone of BN's work

As the representative body of Naturism in the UK, British Naturism actively works to promote and protect Naturism and over the last few years we have seen many positive advances.
Owing to our hard work, the law is clear that nudity is not itself criminal if there is no sexual context or intent to cause alarm or distress. This is confirmed in Crown Prosecution Service guidance which  has been recognised by the College of Policing. Those who participate in free hiking can testify that nearly all public encounters are positive, though a small handful of people still react negatively and aggressively because they are surprised and simply misunderstand Naturism.
British Naturism works with the police and exerts pressure on the government and councils to protect the rights and freedoms people currently enjoy. Our positive media campaigning improves understanding of Naturism so negative reactions become increasingly rare and the law is followed if they occur.
Our high-profile work with the media and visible events are also a strong tool for persuading the public that Naturism is not only a respectable life, it is a great life. Ipsos polling tells us that one in seven people would describe themselves as a Naturist or Nudist and over a third of people have participated in naked activities such as skinny dipping (Ipsos, 2022).
Social nudity is a powerful means to improve self-esteem and mental health, so we are working to promote body positivity through Naturism. One in four people experience a mental health problem every year according to the NHS. Naturism offers a solution and our research work with leading academics is allowing us to target our efforts to where they have maximum effect and are needed most. We are creating more opportunities for young adults, where mental health challenges are even more prevalent and have seen a surge in uptake with half of young adults saying they spend time naked with friends (Ipsos, 2022).
Our extensive work with the Law Commission and on human rights addresses how Naturists can be protected from criminal abuse. This work is not limited to Naturists, British Naturism is committed to equality and diversity and is working for the protection of all minority groups. By encouraging respect for ourselves and respect for each other, British Naturism aims to make the world better for Naturists and better for everyone.

British Naturism - at the Caravan Show this week

This week the BN Team are back at The NEC in Birmingham for the spring Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show on stand 4049.
It started yesterday and we had a bumper day meeting well over 100 BN members and handing out the new Guide to Naturism to the thousands of visitors, and answering their questions about Naturism.
Expected attendance is around 100,000 over the six days of the show and with five days still to go there is plenty of time to go and meet the team at the event.

New online class - Naked Zumba!

Naked Fitness gets a new class next week – starting Monday 27 February at 6pm is Zumba Fitness with Ian
Based on Latin rhythms and cardio moves Zumba is a great fun workout suitable for any ability. It is renowned the world over and as far as we can tell this is the first time naked and online.
To make way for Zumba the popular GroovX Gold session moves to its new time of 10am on a Friday morning, starting 3 March.
Check out all the BN Naked Fitness classes, and buy your tickets. BN Members' can also buy a pass and save money.

Our 2023 guide to Naturism - OUT NOW!

Our popular Guide to Naturism has been updated for 2023 and is now available. It’s a comprehensive booklet that contains everything anyone needs to know about Naturism. Use it to persuade your friends to join BN, your colleagues to give social nudity a try, or your local leisure centre to host a skinny dip.
We’ll be sending copies to clubs and swims, and taking piles of them to events for you to take away. We have printed many thousands of them and you can order them - for free! - from the BN shop.
It’s also available as an online booklet, making it dead easy to send a link to anyone who needs it - and let's face it, doesn't everybody need it? 
Find it in the ‘Bookstore’ section at shop.bn.org.uk where you will also find a link to the online, flippable version (but you can also access it directly here)

Sharing the Joy: The Campaign Tool from British Naturism

Most people start to participate in organised Naturism through friends.  After all, although one can certainly practise Naturism alone, friends are one of the two halves of “social nudity”.  While some people prefer to be discreet about their Naturism for personal or professional reasons, there are many who are keen to share their experiences but can find broaching the subject in a non-intrusive manner difficult. 
Easier than talking about Naturism as a concept is talking about the things we have done and enjoyed.  We share much of our lives through photos, particularly on social media, but struggle to share details of Naturist events we have attended because of the limits on photography that are necessary to protect the choices of other attendees.
Prompted by discussions with our youth members, I am proud to announce a new campaigning initiative to provide images that can be shared with friends or more widely as a means to promote Naturism.
The plan is that small packages of images from certain events will be made available to members for download and sharing.  The images will be carefully selected to communicate the vibe and the fun of the event and hopefully provoke friends to think that they would like to try Naturism too.  We are in the process of creating sets of 4-8 images from chosen events featuring people who are happy to have their images used to promote Naturism.
The first set of images from Bournemouth 2023 is already available and images from Blackpool and Nudefest 2022 are in production.  In the longer term we plan to create sets to showcase Naturist hiking and skinny dipping so whichever aspect of Naturism you enjoy, the tools to talk about it will be easily available to members here.
I hope that people will use these tools and support this campaign so that we can promote and normalise Naturism while having a lot of fun at the same time.
 

The Forum Live - a look ahead

BN's Monday night online session The Forum Live continues to be popular, attracting an average of 60/70 attendees each week. It's (mostly) hosted by me and lasts an hour, in which we bring you a great variety of guests and topics to keep you informed and entertained - like all the best chat shows! Find a list of them all here.
You even get the chance to ask questions of your own. It’s free to attend for BN members and members of overseas Naturist federations, and the best bit, as with all our online events is that a) you don’t have to travel anywhere and b) you don’t have to get dressed!
There seem to be no shortage of guests willing to come and talk, or topics to cover. If there is anything or anyone that you would like to see, then let me know.
I usually let you know about our guest/topic a week in advance, but we've got some good things coming up for which you might want to alter existing plans!
On 20 March I will have the pleasure of talking to Victoria Bateman (pictured) about her new book. Victoria was a guest in June 2020 and people couldn't stop talking about it - you'll find a subsequent article in BN225 which members can download.
Mark Storey is an author of many books, articles and travel reports on Naturism and Naturist places and is also the consulting editor of 'N' Magazine, the quarterly magazine of the US's The Naturist Society. Mark is based on the west coast of America and has many commitments - and so for one night only - I'll be talking to him on Thursday 9 March.
I'm really looking forward to finding out more about Naturism in New Zealand next Monday and inviting the ever-growing BN/BHF team on 3 April to give an update on Great British Skinny Dips and Naked Heart Walks.
You can also look forward to a session dedicated to Naked walking and our 'celebration' of World Naked Hiking day, a debate on using public events for promotion of Naturism and our quarterly 'Ask the Executive' when you can quiz BN's senior management.
Sound good? Look forward to seeing you on the night(s).
 

The Forum Live - a tour of New Zealand

Next Monday (20 Feb) I'm pleased to report that my guests will be representatives of the New Zealand Naturist Federation.
I'll be speaking to Alice de Wet (pictured), NZNF's (volunteer) marketing manager. She's also the secretary at Auckland Outdoor Naturist Club (AONC) and runs a Women’s Naturist Group on Facebook.
She'll be joined by David Saunders, recently elected President of the federation who has been a Naturist since 1973. 
We'll be treated to a slideshow of images of Naturist clubs across the country.
BN/NZNF bonds are made even stronger by BN members Andrew and Sue's recently holiday - watch their videos on the gallery (log in required) - and read the article in the forthcoming issue of BN Magazine.
Join us for an exciting session on the night via the BN shop

BN Members' Spa weekend to Amsterdam announced

We're delighted to announce the second of our group holidays for 2023, this time a weekend to Amsterdam 29 September - 2 October. A two- or three-night option is available.
Guests will stay at Zuiver Spa, just south of the city and enjoy a top class European spa with pools, saunas and steam rooms, restaurants and beautiful gardens. And, yes, costumes are forbidden!
Your trip will be hosted by Mark and Pam who will also arrange a night out in Amsterdam on the Saturday night. 
Find out more and book your place in the BN shop.
Don't forget our trip to Gran Canaria in April/May - last few rooms available!

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