Check out all our other online events to keep you fit, entertained and sociable - there's something every day!
Photo by Thomas Martinsen on Unsplash
News and Articles
News and articles about BN and the wonderful world of Naturism
Check out all our other online events to keep you fit, entertained and sociable - there's something every day!
Photo by Thomas Martinsen on Unsplash
You can find out more about the campaign, including many first-person stories from Naturism women about how social nudity enhances their lives, and how to get involved. Members' can also access our Women Special Interest Group and engage with other Naturist women. On the first Sunday of every month we also host a live chat session called 'Women Uncovered'.
I found Naturism by accident, I had never gone naked, been topless on a beach, walked around the house naked. It had never even registered in my head. By chance a friend who asked if I’d go on holiday, having discovered Naturism working in the Caribbean, and would like to try. I googled a specific part of France, he wanted to try. I googled the wrong thing and as my Grandmother would say, “not on your Nellie!'.
That was late 2017. I started 2018 with a new mind set, after a few turbulent years, I was determined to get my mental health and positive attitude back on track. I read self help guides, and was influenced by those who advised me to 'feel the fear and do it any way' and 'just say yes'. When a friend mentioned British Naturism, I never knew it existed. Surely it’s too cold in the UK? I was loaned a copy of British Naturism magazine and I asked a million questions. With ‘just say yes' still fresh in my mind, I said 'yes!’.
A week later, I was at the North West Naturists swim in Manchester, and I haven't looked back! I was obviously nervous at first, but the warm, non-judgemental welcome into the Worsley community has kept me firmly embedded. I wish I had known about it years ago! From that point, I was hooked, and by June I was a BN member, as I wanted to attend the North West pétanque day - I still can't play, but its never stopped me! This led to club visits, beach days and holidays in Vera Playa. It was suggested that I wrote a blog about my experiences, so other women could see that it was possible and fun! I hadn’t realised that single women under 40, were quite unusual in Naturism, and that my blogs could have a positive influence.
I joined Blackpool and Fylde Sun Club in the September and signed up for the Alton Towers weekend. By this point I was very vocal on the BN forum and as asked to write a few words about the weekend for the magazine. I was still staying ‘yes!’.
The Alton Towers event led to the first event I suggested - gaining the world record for most naked riders on a roller-coaster, followed by a women’s spa day at Liverpool Sun and Air club. I saw a gap in events and things I wanted to do, so I went out and created them.
I never intended to stand for EC, I had spent my early 20s and 30s on ECs and in boardrooms, as well as a few years in classrooms, I said, ‘never again’, and each time I said it again! I said it the first time it was suggested to me! However, our lovely John Rodgers was stepping down after 10 years in the North West and LASER regions, a few weeks before the deadline there were no applications. I spoke to friends, John, some current and previous EC members. I have a voice, my region would be without one. It just made sense to me, I would have also been happy to support anyone else in the role, as I do usually. I thought it might be more paperwork and meetings, but I'll still get a chance to enjoy the events and opportunities I have been, but I know I can be there to encourage more people along the way too. I would love to see the strong core of women, families and young members be able to grow even stronger.
My plans are mostly on hold with the current uncertainty of Covid-19, but I hope to still be part of the zoom team, hosting/co-hosting Wednesday's coffee mornings, Friday's pub night and the monthly Women Uncovered session. My main plan is simply to unite people - I’d like everyone to be able to enjoy social nudity as I have. Whether in a club, a swim, on a beach, on a naked hike or just doing their normal everyday routines naked. I want everyone to be able to enjoy Naturism like I do. I've never been a leader, I've always been a motivator, and enabler, my teaching practices instilled in me that to lead and motivate, you need to demonstrate. I hope I show that being active across my region, as well as nationally. When I see and hear positive reports, I want to try, so if I can show that I'm having fun, I hope that encourages others. I now have friends all over the North West, and across the UK, and because of our online events, the world. The next few years, whilst we are in the unknown world of Covid-19, I think grassroots events will be key. Our national events are amazing, but we can't have one in each region, every week. What we could have is organised walks, hikes, beach days etc. A drop-in as has been established at St Anne's beach in the summer months, we meet up on a certain day for a picnic, come and go as you like, or just go in your own time when you like. It doesn’t have to be a huge event, to be enjoyable. The beauty of British Naturism is that I've joined with the laws already established and on the side of Naturists, because of the hard work done previously. I intend to make sure I support the campaigns - including Families and Women in Naturism - to ensure they stay that way and to keep pushing acceptance. I see my friends in the Naturist community part of an extended family. I just wish I'd known about Naturism years ago, and raised my family in a clothes optional world!
Therefore, we’ve decided that The Forum Live next Monday (12 October) will be dedicated to the session we all missed.
The event is open to all British Naturism members and is expected to last an hour. Questions 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
Photo by Marius Oprea on Unsplash
28 year old Pam is a naturist who devotes her life to championing body positivity and female empowerment. We follow Pam at work at a nudist campsite as she helps her fellow naked guests pitch their tents in high winds and reveals the virtues of life with your kit off.
Caroline is a BBC science radio producer. She produces CrowdScience on the World Service, a weekly science show that answers science questions from audience members all over the world. She also produces Bad People, a BBC Sounds true crime podcast. Outside of pandemics Caroline presents explosive science shows on stage for large audiences at the Royal Institution.
The most recent episode of CrowdScience tacked the question, 'Why am I embarrassed to be naked?' Caroline and colleague Anand (pictured) travelled to British Naturism Sunfolk and asked that question of Naturists. You can listen to the programme here.
So, we'll be talking to Caroline about her work at the BBC, how the programmes come together - and her experience of stripping off...
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British Naturism has already done much to address issues around equality, diversity and inclusion within the organisation, for example raising awareness of body positivity, mental health, women’s equality, hate crime and anti-discrimination practice within naturism. Its involvement in research with Dr Keon West and others on body positivity and nudity; publishing articles in the BN Magazine and online; and providing information through radio, TV and newspaper interviews and via social media have all been positive.
We’ve now produced a draft Equality and Diversity Policy, along with a Code of Practice to demonstrate British Naturism’s commitment to the principles set out in the Policy. It was published to members earlier this week for comment.
Today we are also pleased to welcome Richard Stacey to our growing band of volunteers who choose to contribute their time and expertise for the benefit of other members. Richard joins the team as LGBTQ Officer. This is a new role which will provide British Naturism members and potential members with a point of contact and information for questions relating the LGBTQ community within Naturism – it’s not about setting up a separate group for LGBTQ members.
Richard has some exciting ideas about how to develop his new role over the coming months that he will be sharing. In the meantime, he would be really happy to hear from any members (however they identify) with their suggestions as to how he and the wider team can make our organisation even more inclusive and welcoming than it already is. You can also read his blog.
Richard has been a member of British Naturism since 2018 and has been active in the Eastern Region for much of this time, both as a participant and as an organiser of regional events. Outside of his job in local government he also has lots of other volunteering experience and is a Community First Responder for the Ambulance Service.
richard.stacey@bn.org.uk
Flag photo credit : drahomir posteby on unsplash
Our online event programme continues to attract the attention of the outside world with the media especially excited to learn about it and how it led to a huge increase in our membership. There's something every day and don't forget the NEW sessions - Power Yoga, Earth Meditation, Beginners' Fitness and Groove X Stix.
Other classes and sessions include different sessions of yoga, fitness, aerobics, meditation, interviews and discussion in The Forum Live, the naked coffee morning, the naked pub, and chat sessions for young Naturists, Women, and book lovers.
With rules introduced less than 48 hours later limiting groups to 30, later reduced to six, there seems no likelihood of any repeat this year. One BN member who took part said that it was strangely the most ‘normal’ thing he’d done for months, and great to be with lots of other people sharing an experience, even though it inevitably did not have quite the same atmosphere and camaraderie normally experienced at such installations. Whilst it was great to strip off and be part of a shared artistic endeavour, there was a keen wind making it hard not to shiver between the three poses, which were then followed by a set-up for couples.
The whole event was sponsored and organised by Sky Arts, to celebrate the channel moving to be free-to-view, and made press reports on the BBC and most newspapers.
‘Just so amazing to be able to take part in an art installation that promotes the naked body with all its imperfections and beauty. In the corona 19 crisis to show that the mask and social distancing is possibly under all circumstances and draw attention to the need to wear one attracted me to this project as well.‘
Jan Purnell - who travelled to London from Llantrisant on the edge of the Rhondda valley in Wales.
‘I don't think Spencer Tunick is actively promoting Naturism, although he obviously realises that Naturists are interested in his naked art installations. As far as I'm aware Mr Tunick celebrates the naked body in all its forms, and doesn't discriminate against anyone. I am not a Naturist, and I'm actually a bit shy about my body under normal circumstances, but I love Mr Tunick's work. I consider it a privilege to take part, and share in the experience with so many others. It makes me feel free, liberated and alive, and I love every minute of it. I am 70 years of age, and hope, that I may be blessed to take part in future installations.’
Janet Bucknall - who travelled from Hull, East Yorkshire.
Documentary photography of Spencer Tunick installation courtesy of the artist.
As the magazine editor, I'll be slipping in the 'guest' chair for the evening and hope to be joined by other people who make significant contributions to turning texts, pictures, ideas, news, graphics, research, suggestions, reports, promotions and more, into the beautiful journal that lands every three months on your doormat...please join us. We'll be happy to answer questions too.
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It was an instant hit and we've hosted over 600 people! It's been great to welcome many British Naturism members as well as people new to the notion of clothes-free camping. The way we set up the site and booking enabled loads of people to decide to pop in when they woke up and saw the sun shining, and others to come for the night when they found they were passing close-by. It's also been the perfect retreat for families for a summer staycation!
Sadly, British Naturism Sunfolk closes this weekend so there's only a few more days to make use of it. We're already looking forward to 2021...if you want to be among the first to know what's happening, sign up for our dedicated British Naturism Sunfolk newsletter at the foot of this page.
What is it about being naked outdoors that brings such joy to those of us enlightened enough and brave enough to try it? And how have we managed maintain that joy under lockdown? Recent research suggests that naturist activities lead to an increase in life satisfaction. To us, like many others who practice naturism, that means being outdoors in the fresh air and sunlight.
Fate smiled on us in three ways: we were working from home, we have a garden, and this springtime, the weather was particularly fine. We had many idyllic tea breaks and lunch breaks sitting naked in the garden. With time on our hands, the weeds stood no chance - their days were numbered. Digging them up with the sun on our bare backs was very satisfying. It warms not just the skin but the soul too. And we could potter around in the dirt without a care in the world about getting our clothes dirty because we were not wearing any.
Prior to lockdown we used to go to a yoga class. It's supposed to be calming but the stress of trying to get there on time and then find a parking space was often counter-productive. Not so when we joined the BN yoga classes online. Although we did need to rearrange the furniture to make room! Other times we avoided the furniture problem by doing naked yoga in the garden. The liberating effects of yoga unencumbered by fabrics, walls or ceilings is the ultimate way to experience it.
Not having to (or being able to) drive places saves a lot of time. This gave us the chance to do some DIY, including dismantling an old armchair to re-purpose its leather upholstery (SO many staples!)
We live close enough to a naturist beach that we can walk there for a bit of sunbathing. It's remote enough that even in the height of summer it's uncrowded. In springtime it's almost deserted. Once it was allowed, we did some exploring using the BN beach guide and checked out other nearby naturist beaches. We've had some glorious days out.
There's nothing quite like a skinny dip. For many people it's their first taste of naturism. We've managed a few dips in the sea at the naturist beach already this year - some of them quite short when the water was still cold. One new thing we've tried recently is river skinny dipping. We were introduced to it by a friend. It's quite different to paddling naked in streams on a hike, or swimming naked in the sea. The technical term, apparently is “swooshing” which means letting the river take you downstream past the scenery. All very easy and fun but you still have to swim about a bit to avoid getting cold. And carry your towel in a waterproof bag as it's a one-way deal.
We like a good hike. Initially we were restricted to short hikes near home and I think by now we know every footpath in our neighbourhood in minute detail. It's especially useful to discover where it's safe to strip off and get some sun on your bum as you walk along.
We celebrated world naked hiking day by hiking in the New Forest with a couple of naturist friends - at a safe distance of course. As we parked and saw the heaving crowds of clothed people our hearts sank, but 200 yards from the car park there was not a soul to be seen on the path ahead. By careful choice of route we walked 10 miles naked with only very brief cover-ups to cross busy roads.
Another day we travelled a little further afield and met up with a couple of friends on the South Downs. They are NatRam members and they led us on a leisurely five mile stroll with beautiful scenery and quite a lot of clothed walkers - who seemed friendly on the whole.
More recently the weather's been a bit wet and windy but then there was a nice calm Saturday and so we got out the canoe and went on the usually quiet river, hoping to do some naked paddling. But oh dear! Everybody else who'd been cooped up in the miserable weather had the same idea. We paddled six miles and only managed less than half a mile naked. Oh well, you win some you lose some.
Necessity is the mother of invention. The necessity of staying close to home, with so many leisure facilities closed, has forced us to invent new ways of having fun. We have discovered that you don't need to jet off to exotic locations or rely on other organisations to amuse you and arrange activities for you. There's a world of fun to be had right on your doorstep if you apply a bit of inventiveness. And the best thing is, most of it doesn't cost you a penny!
After discovering Naturism by accident Brendan created GNA which grew rapidly to 225,000 followers. He now hopes to rebuild the Naturist culture in Australia and has a passion for promoting naturism amongst younger generations.
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Join in our online events - from yoga to a pub night, and interviews to fitness classes. There's something every day! Read over one hundred articles on our news pages about a wide variety of Naturist and Naturist-related subjects Visit goodtimes.bn.org.uk and discover how amazing and vibrant our community is Learn about our many campaigns, including inspiring, first-person stories from Women in Naturism Follow us on social media - we're active on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter Sign up for our regular newsletter and get the information straight to your inbox The members' side of our website (login required) is chock-full of interesting stuff. Naturists all over the country are currently discussing and debating a variety of topics - not all related to Naturism - and finding information, viewing event and other images, reading blogs and more. It also contains a variety of interesting and useful downloads including full copies of BN Magazine back to 2004! It all comes free as part of a British Naturism annual subscription. Here's a guide on how to log in and use the member's section of the website and a new Quickstart Guide to help you find your way around...
Not a member? It's easy to join...find out how and details of all the benefits you will receive
Members can read about many of the issues currently dealt with by British Naturism in the BN magazine and on the members’ forum (log-in required), but these sources don’t necessarily demonstrate the depth of detail with which these issues have to be considered. Some of them, such as the acquisition of the Sunfolk site and closure of the Northampton office, represent major decisions which will have significant impacts on the future of the organisation and need in-depth discussion.
In this article we’re aiming to give you an idea of the kinds of issues British Naturism’s Directors and other members of the EC have to grapple with on a regular basis.
Sunfolk – Acquisition of the site by British Naturism provides massive opportunities for the future, but in the meantime a great deal of work needs to be invested in order to deliver over time the “gold standard” naturist site we want to see. Mark Walsh has been masterminding the day-to-day work, guided by discussions at the weekly meetings and in particular by Vice-Chair Jon Williams who has been overseeing the work at Director level. Recently we received advice about the importance of commissioning an ecological survey during summer months – something that will be essential if any future proposals aimed at promoting naturism require planning permission. If the importance of that hadn’t been appreciated, future work might have been delayed by up to a year.
The Northampton office: Over the summer we took the difficult decision to close the office at Northampton and to say goodbye to our staff based there. We now have to think about the best future for the premises, and this is again under the oversight of Jon Williams. Sale of the premises would provide a one-off opportunity to enhance British Naturism’s reserves, so is certainly an option under consideration. Some of the proceeds would undoubtedly be invested in Sunfolk, but we expect there to be significant sums left over which could be used for different purposes. For now, the Northampton postal address and telephone numbers remain in use.
Events – Many of us are missing the opportunities to take part in naturist events, swims and social gatherings, and for much of the year even our clubs have been closed. The success of our online events has been a marked achievement under the guidance of Mark Walsh and President, Mark Bass, but it can never substitute for the enjoyment of physical events. One of the biggest annual events is, as many readers will know, Nudefest. Unusually among BN events, Nudefest has in recent years been organised by a group of volunteers separate from the EC. An event attracting up to 500 visitors is expensive to put on. It represents a major opportunity, but also a major financial risk, for our organisation. The unprecedented challenge of COVID-19 that caused first postponement, then cancellation of Nudefest meant the Directors had to step up and work with the Nudefest team to control and minimise the financial damage. This has been an ever-present discussion topic over the spring and summer. Directors have specific responsibilities under the Companies Act to work in the best interests of the company and in certain circumstances could become personally liable if expenditure was not properly accounted for, so this sort of oversight is an absolute necessity.
Legal work: One of the features of British Naturism that is most valued by members is our legal work. Two major pieces of work are underway at the moment. We benefit from excellent service from Peter and Christine Wright as our internal source of support for members, but we do sometimes have to instruct external professionals. Cases might concern the interests of individual members or more general issues: for example we sought legal advice following the cancellation of The Gathering when the hotel went into administration, and we obtained Counsel’s advice confirming our view that naturism can be considered a philosophical belief under the Equality Act. Edwin Kilby is now leading the work to improve the professional legal support for the organisation that will sit alongside our internal structures. The second piece of work, led by Mark Bass, concerns the law itself. We have been consulted by the Law Commission to ensure that naturist views are represented during ongoing consultations on Hate Crime and definition of intimate images.
International matters – We believe that it is important to be a leading member of the International Naturist Federation (INF), the organisation representing naturism globally, as well as maintaining good bilateral relations with naturist federations in other countries. After all, the naturist community doesn’t stop at the UK border. But we have had our issues with the INF and have been pushing for positive change. This October International Director, Edwin Kilby, had been scheduled to attend the biennial World Congress of the INF in Slovenia, as British Naturism’s delegate. Unfortunately, that Congress has become another victim of the pandemic and has now been postponed until late March. That’s a shame, because it was shaping up to be an interesting event. The Congress, when it is finally held, will include elections for key positions, and we learned recently of nominations from around the world which are likely to mean that there will be a real contest among candidates with widely contrasting visions of the future of the INF. Among others, the current president, Sieglinde Ivo, who has already served for 12 years, plans to stand for another four-year term, and the post will be contested by Stéphane Deschênes, a former member of the INF Board who is now the proprietor of a well-known naturist park in Toronto.
An online global event: Given the postponement of the INF Congress, we’re looking at the feasibility of hosting a global naturist conference online. This would be quite separate from the INF event and managed by British Naturism in partnership with naturist federations from other countries. These considerations are, at the time of writing, at a very early stage.
The BN Shop: We know that many members have been missing the opportunity to buy branded goods – towels, clothing, beach items and promotional goods – from the BN shop, and we’ve been looking at ways to bring it back. Like so many issues on the EC’s agenda, it is not as simple as it sounds, and we need to avoid holding large amounts of stock of goods that won’t sell or make a loss for our organisation. The good news is that we expect the shop to reopen around the time of the AGM. The use of outsourced “print on demand” services should mean that we can be much more flexible about the goods we offer without the shop becoming a financial liability. Jon Williams has been leading on this project.
Strategy: At the end of last year we created various working groups to look in detail at various issues that we wanted to address within BN. These included overall strategy, policies and procedures, and the relationship with our clubs. A new one, to review regional arrangements, has just been created. It’s fair to say that not all the working groups have progressed as quickly as we might have liked but there are only so many hours in the day and the pandemic lockdown has generated some huge time demands that were not foreseen in our original planning. Nonetheless, we are starting to see results. The Clubs working group has carried out an in-depth survey of clubs and swims and we’re currently analysing the results with a view to seeing what, if anything, needs to change as regards how BN and its clubs work together. The Policies and Procedures group has been updating some of BN’s older internal documents and, perhaps most importantly, has produced a volunteering policy and strategy that has just been adopted by the EC. John Gelder, who has very considerable experience in this area, has agreed to become BN’s Volunteering Officer. The importance of volunteers to the success of BN as an organisation can hardly be overstated, and we expect John’s new role to be pivotal.
The Annual General Meeting: We’ve been concerned with how to conduct the meeting in a way that is not only safe in a world where COVID-19 remains a considerable threat, but also attractive and accessible to members. Last year’s AGM was held at Northampton and attracted just a couple of dozen members. It is not surprising that relatively few people are interested in travelling significant distances to witness the rather formal business of an AGM on its own. We have been considering ways to make the occasion more interesting, perhaps adding presentations on various topics of wider interest, as well as a question-and-answer session. We had hoped that we could invite everyone to Sunfolk. We were also contemplating whether we could make the proceedings available to people who did not want to travel to the outskirts of London by filming and streaming the meeting online. It turns out that streaming such an event is not as straightforward as it sounds and to do it professionally would carry a significant price tag. However, our success with online events during the pandemic combined with the ongoing restrictions imposed by COVID-19 makes the obvious choice to be run the AGM as an online Zoom event. A couple of motions have been proposed by the EC; one updating the bye-laws and one proposing a review of regional arrangements. These motions don’t just appear, they require meticulous preparation, and the bye-law proposals in particular are the results of hours of painstaking work. Following the successful deployment of an online voting system for the elections held this year, online voting has been rolled out for the AGM motions too.
These represent just a few of the issues currently on the table, and one thing all new members of the EC soon learn is that unexpected issues can arise quite quickly. We are also conscious that these sorts of details don’t interest everyone, and many members would prefer just to get on and enjoy Naturism. We do our best to keep members informed of major issues affecting everyone without boring the pants off you all (if you’re wearing any) and we are sure you will lose no time in letting us know whether you think we have the balance right.
Picture credit : Drew Beamer - Unsplash
Linda is a life-long naturist, and was recently voted onto the Board of Directors for the AANR-West Region and appointed co-chair for WINR - Women in Nude Recreation.
For anyone who has not attended The Forum Live, the session lasts an hour with a Q&A session between the host (that's me) and our guest, with questions from the audience following.
Please make sure you book your place as soon as possible.
You’ll find features on:
- two new pieces of scientific research relating to social nudity
- the results of our interview of naked Cambridge academic, Victoria Bateman,
- BBC Sheffield’s third series of ‘The Naked Podcast’,
- a great article originally published in ‘Outdoor Swimming’ magazine about skinny dipping,
- the success of the social media campaign ‘Get Naked Australia’
- the work being done behind-the-scenes by the British Naturism management
- our Campaigns, including Women in Naturism, Families and Just One Person,
- Volunteering for British Naturism,
- reports of events
- Brighton, Cornwall, Crete and Mexico in the travel section
…and masses of news from the nude and not-so-nude world.
BN225 is available for our members to , and will soon be landing on the doormats of those who opt to receive it by post. Members of British Naturism can download the digital version now!
Our quarterly magazine is just one of the many benefits a BN membership provides, so if you’re not a member yet, why not make today the day you join us?
Check out all the amazing things British Naturism are doing! goodtimes.bn.org.uk
We're bringing in some NEW sessions this month, and owing to some much-needed holidays for instructors, a couple of temporary changes too.
New sessions
Earth Meditation on Sunday mornings from the 6th September - a relaxing session from Katherine
Beginner Fitness on Wednesday afternoons from 9th September- British Naturism's fitness guru Roy introduces a class for beginners.
Power Yoga on Saturday mornings from the 12th September - a new high energy Naked Yoga session from Georgia
GroovX Stix on Tuesday evenings from 15th September - the ultimate way to hit and smash your way to a better you - use drumsticks to bash out rhythms and beats with explosive dance moves. Join Jooles and work up a sweat in this brand new GroovX Stix session.
Temporary changes
Sheryn's back! Owing to holidays, Sheryn will run her popular aerobics sessions in place of Georgia's Chair Yoga on the 7th September and Jooles' aerobics on the 9th September.
Monthly sessions
Don't forget our usual first-weekend-of-the-month Life Drawing class this coming Saturday and our Women Uncovered chat session on Sunday.
What to find out more and book your place? Follow these links:
All community sessions are included as part of your British Naturism membership - we also welcome guests from the INF too.
Lifestyle Sessions are open to all with a 40% discount for BN and INF members. They also come with free cancellation and transfer to another session, up to one hour before the start.
Not a BN member? Come and join us here - it costs less than £4 a month. If you attending regular online sessions you'll save a fortune - and gain many other membership benefits.
Mark joined British Naturism in 2007, having been introduced to Naturism during his university years. By day he works as a mild-mannered lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield. But by night he stalks the streets, fighting injustice wherever it may be found and promoting naturist rights! Mark was co-opted to the Executive Committee of British Naturism in 2018 as Vice Chair having worked previously to support the re-emergence of Young British Naturism (YBN). He then stood for election as President in 2019, which is the position he now holds.
Mark is a particular advocate of the development of potential in individuals and the ethos that everybody should be free to pursue their own dreams without fear of discrimination. Naturism in particular should be available to everyone, and we are all deserving of respect. This philosophy is seen in his work with both the authorities and adversaries, as well as the efforts to support groups that are underrepresented in the naturist community. Mark is also a key part of the photography team and the Online events so his fingerprints can be seen across the organisation.
On Monday we will talk about Mark’s background and philosophy and what his own aims are within British Naturism.
Book your place, as soon as you can...
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Take a look at all the amazing things we're doing
Let's celebrate Good Times...and pass it on to people you know...
goodtimes.bn.org.uk
Choose from 'Community and 'Lifestyle' sessions...
All community sessions are included as part of your British Naturism membership - we also welcome guests from the INF too. There are interviews, presentations and discussions, the naked pub and naked coffee morning, book club, cookery session, special chat groups for families, young Naturists and Women, life drawing and occasional special events.
Lifestyle sessions such as aerobics, fitness, yoga, meditation and laughter yoga are open to all, with a 40% discount for BN and INF members. They also come with free cancellation and transfer to another session, up to one hour before the start.
...and by the way, it is not mandatory to participate in the nude. Most do, but feel free to come as you are...
Tonight (24 Aug) in The Forum Live we launch a new recruitment drive - 'The Make a New Member Challenge'. Membership numbers at British Naturism are rising and are now at their highest number since 2014 and we'd love to encourage others to join and are asking you to help. There are plenty of good reasons - for all Naturists - why it is better for us to have more and more people in membership.
Please book your place as soon as you can...
Did you know you we issue a weekly reminder of online events, straight to your inbox? If you'd like to receive it, please sign up at the foot of this page - bnevents.org.uk
Not a BN member? Come and join us here - it costs less than £4 a month. If you attending regular online sessions you'll save a fortune - and gain many other membership benefits.
Get Naked Australia (GNA), is a contemporary platform that promotes body positivity and outdoor recreation through Naturism. Instigator Brendan tells us more about it…
What started as a fun photo of myself naked on a cliff top with my arms in the air and bum to the camera very quickly gained traction online. For some people it was seen as harmless fun, for others it was something very meaningful. Whatever people’s reasons were in those early days, one thing became apparent, people enjoyed seeing it - and they enjoyed participating.
Within the first year the following grew to over 100,000. There were numerous news articles, radio interviews and even a live TV segment during a prime time news programme. We had dozens of people every day sending in their own photos from great places all over the country and stories about how the naked-in-nature experience made them feel. I received emails from people who were with groups of mates camping and decided to skinny dip; from people with mental health disorders; and victims of domestic violence telling me how the concept had helped them reclaim their body.
The concept was to ‘nude up in nature’ either on your own or with others. The purpose was to have fun, help improve the way you see your own body and remove the stigma associated with nudity - that nudity is immediately linked with something sexual. We want people to treat naked bodies as simply that, just a naked body. I don’t want a world where we never wear clothes, but I also don’t want a world where people never get to experience the joy of swimming in the ocean naked because of body inhibitions. Or feel too scared to get changed in front of their best friends because of fear of judgement. Or don’t get a nasty medical condition checked out because of fear of someone looking at your private parts. I want people to feel comfortable with their bodies and I think GNA offers a fun way to take the plunge and experience naturism for the first time.
It was interesting that only a handful of the people who posted their images would consider themselves naturists. They were every day people who were getting naked outside of the comfort of their homes for the first time. And that right there has shaped the future of what myself and my team are hoping to do with Get Naked Australia.
We want Naturism to be viewed differently in Australia and elsewhere. Most of my friends hear the word ‘nudist’ and they think of a bunch of naked old men sitting around a caravan. Unfortunately there is some validity to thinking that way. Young people don’t like labels. They don’t like belonging to clubs, particularly when they don’t offer much for young people. Any movement needs young people to be involved for it to continue.
If we aim to empower the individual on the benefits of naturism by giving them locations to go to without having to join a club and help remove the stigma that naturists are all a bunch of old hippies, then I think we will see a rise in the involvement of young people in naturism. I think they have always wanted to be involved, but have never had the right platform to do so. Most people wish to experience skinny dipping on their own or with their friends first. And that’s what our page encourages people to do. We need to completely get rid of the lifestyle mentality and we need to not put labels on people. People need to be able to say that they go to nude beaches and travel to clothing optional venues to experience the joy of feeling the elements on their skin without people assuming they are nudists or naturists. If someone goes to a nude beach regularly are they a naturist? No! They just like going to the beach.
Our goal is to completely reshape the naturist culture here in Australia and empower individuals and groups to experience the benefits of Naturism within the right setting. We wish to promote naturism in Australia as a healthy practice rather than a lifestyle. We aim to build a community of people who think the same way and who practice naturism the way we feel it should be practiced. Always in the great outdoors and completely free of sexualisation.
We have begun this in two ways. Firstly by putting together a community group of people who gather together for hikes, skinny dips, beach days and cruises. This group is largely formed through friends bringing friends and we are yet to do many public events but they will hopefully be coming soon.
Secondly through our recent magazine and public social media profiles on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. In our magazine “GNA” we interview people about their experiences with naturism. We review the good existing naturist events in Australia and we aim to provide good modern venues for people to relax clothes free and present plenty of great places all over the country for a naked in nature experience. These include mountain lookouts, beaches, rivers and waterfalls. We believe if we can empower the individual to experience getting naked in nature, it will help build a big community of people who practice naturism regularly.
I understand that some of our views might be a little controversial as its a new way of thinking, but I wholeheartedly believe it is the way forward, particularly with younger generations. Given our huge social media following I think it is evident that they are views that people can relate to a little more than the traditional club based nudist model.
We are very excited to see what the future holds for Australia and we hope that Naturism becomes as popular here as it is in countries like France and Spain.
I mean, we do have the best beaches in the world!
Brendan
getnakedaustralia.com.au
British Naturism is garnering praise all over the world from Naturists for the way we have handled the crisis, engaged with our community and provided online events and other resources to keep them busy and in touch with others. It follows that if you're a Naturist in the UK you're bound to be a paid up member...!
...ah, well, it doesn't actually. There are thousands of people enjoying social nudity in the UK who aren't members of this vibrant, active, supportive, meaningful community. We'd love them to come and join us and are asking you to help. There are plenty of good reasons - for all of us - why it is better for us to have more and more people in membership.
Next Monday night's The Forum Live session will launch our new recruitment drive - The Make a New Member Challenge'. Come and find out more about it...book your place now
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