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News and articles about BN and the wonderful world of Naturism
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Reminder: online Life Drawing class this weekend!

I'm sure you're checking the schedule every day, but in case not, here is a reminder that our monthly Life Drawing class takes place this Saturday afternoon. Time? 1pm Venue? Your place! Find all the details here.
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.

Everyone Together - Spencer Tunick

With virtually no events or mass gatherings having taken place since lockdown began in March, it was a welcome novelty when 220 volunteers stripped off, except for regulation white face-masks, to form an art installation for the renowned American photographer Spencer Tunick at dawn on 12th September. Staged in the grounds of Alexandra Palace in north London, it was carefully organised under strict Covid-19 protocols, with temperature checks on arrival at 4 a.m. and social-distancing throughout. 
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.

The Forum Live - the BN Magazine

Next Monday, 28th September, the Forum Live online session will be dedicated to our fully-illustrated, content-packed quarterly publication for members - BN Magazine.
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.
Book your place here

A great season comes to a close at British Naturism Sunfolk

It's been a great first summer at our newly-acquired site, British Naturism Sunfolk. When the pandemic hit, we didn't imagine that we'd be able to welcome visitors until 2021, but after a huge amount of hard work and dedication by BN staff, members and others, camping and day visit bookings were taken from the 1st August.
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.

Lockdown Doesn't Mean Locked In

‘The day before lockdown started, we hiked 15 miles through countryside in various states of undress. We started around 8:30am and finished around 5pm, taking the time to enjoy naked picnicking and a bit of naked paddling in a VERY cold river. Thank goodness we did; it was to be the last day of true freedom for a long time,’ say Sue and Andrew.
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!

The Forum Live - interviewing Brendan Jones

I'm pleased to announce that we go international again next Monday (21st September) and I will be interviewing Brendan Jones, the founder of Get Naked Australia (GNA), a nude internet sensation. There's an article in the latest BN magazine about it which can also be found on this website.
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.
Book your place now!
 

Keep Busy with BN!

Don't forget all the wonderful things you can get from the UK's national Naturist organisation...it may be tricky to meet others right now but there is still plenty going on within our virtual, socially-distanced community, including plenty of free content:
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

From the BN Boardroom

British Naturism is a membership organisation run by volunteers, supported by a small paid staff and consultants. Volunteers at the management level devote many hours of their spare time to working for the organisation. There’s always a lot to do and it’s not always the fun stuff! Every member of the EC is working hard in the background, dealing with many issues on your behalf, every day, including some you may not think of! We’ve been busier than ever during the pandemic.  Weekly meetings of the Directors and senior staff on Zoom have been introduced, and full Executive Committee meetings have also been held virtually.
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

The Forum Live - interviewing Linda Weber and AANR

In our online interview sessions we continue to reach out around the world and tonight (7th September) will be no exception. I'm really pleased to tell you that our guest will be Linda Weber from AANR West. That's the America Association of Nude Recreation, if you didn't know. We heard from Linda a few weeks ago when we covered 'Women in Naturism' but this time we'll learn more about Naturism in the US. Linda may be bringing some colleagues with her. There will be plenty to talk about...!
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.
 

BN225 - Autumn 2020

The Autumn issue of our members magazine is now out and it’s another winner!
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

British Naturism - Hitting the Headlines again!

Our ability to raise the profile of British Naturism and Naturism in the UK continues to grow stronger and stronger! In addition to a number of local press reports and radio interviews that we have participated in recently we've been gaining national and world wide promotion!   Check out the following...   An article in the Daily Star and featured as the banner headline on the front page -  https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/sexy-celebrities-admit-like-getting-22613459   Pam Fraser speaking about life as a Naturist to Unilad.com on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=850068278731555   An article in the Daily Telegraph featuring some of our newest members (Unfortunately it's behind a pay wall but if you are a Telegraph subscriber you will be able to view it) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/nothing-weird-naked-inside-lockdown-naturism-boom/   We also hosted our first media visit to British Naturism Sunfolk. We didn't just start with a short report in the local paper, we welcomed the BBC World Service and whose interviews will be broadcast around the globe!   And it doesn't stop there - as we post this article we are talking to two national newspapers, a national TV channel and a primetime TV show...  

Announcing...new online events for September!

Our programme of online events continues to attract great audiences and praise! Naturists from the UK and beyond are loving the opportunity to keep fit and healthy and meet others in online sessions where - unlike so many of the Zoom meetings we're all attending - can be done without clothes!
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.

The Forum Live - interviewing Mark Bass

Next Monday (31st August), I am delighted to tell you that my guest on The Forum Live will be British Naturism President, Mark Bass.
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...

Have You Tried Our Online Events?

Plenty of online events to entertain and inform this week. If you've not taken part yet, then please don't hesitate. And look out in next week's reminder for the schedule for September and some new sessions...
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

Get Naked Australia!
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 
 

The Forum Live - the Make a New Member Challenge!

Membership numbers at British Naturism are rising and are at their highest number since 2014. Thanks to everyone who has joined, renewed and/or come back after an absence. Thanks also to those of you who are spreading the word about Naturism (and British Naturism) and bringing more people to this wonderful world.
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
Visit our online events page to discover all the online events we run...

Naturism in the News

The arrival of hot weather in the UK always brings media enquiries our way. We're always happy to help bring the benefits of a nude lifestyle and the activities and community provided by British Naturism to a wider audience. We've also got a lot to talk about!
Last week, we were asked to comment by the BBC on the story of a naked man chasing a laptop-stealing wild boar in a German park (you couldn't make it up...) and Ulrika Jonsson's sensible comments about naked sunbathing and raising children with healthy attitudes to the body. There are also the usual 'silly season', bottom-of-the-barrel items about the shock and horror experienced by people who can't wait to tell their local newspaper that they saw a real, live naked person in the woods or on a beach...
In complete contrast, we found ourselves quoted in Forbes, one of the top business magazines in the US. 

Members of British Naturism can keep up to date with news from the Naturist world - and post stories they find - in the Nudity reported in the Media topic on the Members' Forum (log in required). We also post links to many of them on our Facebook page and we've always got plenty to report from inside and outside of British Naturism on our website news page (that's what you're reading now), which is regularly updated. 

The Forum Live - interviewing Naked Wanderings

We're pleased to announce that next Monday 17 August our guests will be expert Naturist travellers and bloggers Nick and Lins from https://www.nakedwanderings.com and https://twitter.com/nakedwanderings.
Nick and Lins travel the world full time on a quest to learn about all the different aspects of Naturism and in search of the best Naturist spots. On their blog and social media, they show the world what naturism is like seen through the eyes of two 30-somethings.
I'm sure they will have plenty to say and we will have plenty to ask them...book your place now! 

The Forum Live - Where do you do it?

Last week I was interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live and the presenter asked me, 'Where do you do it?' - which was easily answered as I was standing stark naked talking to her over the phone line - but made me think about how varied a community we are in terms of that question. I know there are some of us who spend as much time as they possibly can without clothes and others who only strip off on sunshine holidays. There are a huge number of different locations that we all use and, to a certain extent, the law also provides that nudity is possible anywhere.
So tonight we'll have a chat with some break-out rooms on this subject. Where DO you do it? What is your favourite type of location? Are you naked all day at home? Or just when it's perfect weather and you're around the hotel pool? What unusual or expected situations have you experienced in a Naturist state?
Please come and join in the discussion!
Image: Colin Dobson-Fox
 

Stripped-back camping - opens tomorrow!

Our second pop-up camping site opens tomorrow until the end of August in West Sussex. Tents, Caravans & Motorhomes welcome...the site will be hosted for BN by Pam Fraser.
We've had a terrific start at the first summer camping site we opened - British Naturism Sunfolk and look forward to welcoming people to our newest...
Click here for booking details for both - see you there!
 
 
 

We love this...from Ulrika

Naked sunbathing, positive body image, raising children with healthy attitudes to nudity...we couldn't have put it better ourselves...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8601689/ULRIKA-JONSSON-says-British-hung-baring-heatwave.html
 
 
Picture: Colin Brundle

Highland Walking

Chris is a keen highland walker who shares his naked day hiking at Fisherfield, south of Ullapool.
Naked Munro bagging. I never really thought it was either practical or possible. And yet, there I was on a remote mountain in the Scottish Highlands, sitting naked on a trigpoint.
Munros are Scottish mountains over 3000 feet high that I and many others have an addiction for. I am officially a 'bagger', trying to climb all 282, and the Highland weekend at Loch Ossian gave me the perfect excuse to explore some new areas in the week before and climb some more mountains. I'm usually up in Scotland in the depths of winter as I love the mountains in their snowy coats, though this clearly doesn't present the ideal conditions for naked hiking! Summer in Scotland can be just as problematic - the famous midges, the notorious Scottish weather, but both were kind to me on this trip, and I was finally able to take the plunge and try some naked rambling. I chose one of the remotest areas of Scotland for my first naked walk; Fisherfield, in the far north near Ullapool, and wow, it didn't disappoint.
I set out from the roadside in just a sarong and a t-shirt - the track climbs from the road quickly, so I was soon able to remove both as I walked along in beautiful sunshine with stunning views of a rugged mountain called An Teallach. I saw only one person on a walk through stunning scenery to the Shenival bothy, and another walker who passed me on a lower track, possibly deliberately avoiding the strange naked person in front of him!  I saw no-one else, and, other than donning my sarong as I approached the bothy, I was naked the whole day.
At around 4pm I reached the summit of my first Munro, Ruadh Stac Mor.  An hour later, I was on my second, A'Mhaighdean and then headed for the third, Beinn Tarsuinn. Astounding views surrounded me over the Summer Isles back towards An Teallach and over to Torridon. In 25 years of walking in the Highlands, it was one of the best days of walking I've ever done. The atmosphere was beautifully clear, with sun glinting off the lochs and the distant sea and quartz sparkling on the mountain sides. It was awe inspiring. 
At around 7pm I was climbing along the winding ridge to the last summit of the day thinking that I would go the whole day without wearing a stitch, but as I came to the end of the ridge I saw two figures on the summit. I wasn't quite ready to meet them without a stitch on, so I quickly donned shorts and t-shirt, and joined them on the top. If the two women had seen I had been naked just moments before, they certainly didn't mention it and we exchanged pleasantries and each went on our way. My day ended with a high level camp at 800 metres with a beautiful sunset over the Fisherfield Munros. A fitting end to a perfect day.
The following day I was greeted with a huge mountain thunderstorm, so I waited out in my cozy shelter, but it left the day damp and cold so there was no more naked walking that day. I did, however, chalk up my third Munro of the trip the next day, Ciste Dubh north of Cluanie Inn in Kintail, before heading down to Tulloch station ready to catch the train to Corrour the next day to meet up with the British Naturism crowd at Loch Ossian. A very enjoyable weekend with friends old and new and plenty more naked walking ended with a cracking meal at the Station House restaurant. A perfect end to a week of naked firsts.

From the Archive: Negative Body Image - Its not just for the girls (Part 2)

This article appeared on 11th December 2017
I’m sitting in a room full of people I’ve never met before in my life. The last sun rays of the day are filtering through the windows in the roof, causing an ethereal glow above us. The floor is an exquisite mosaic of tiles and eight chairs are arranged in a hexagonal pattern around a fountain in the middle of the room. Unfortunately, there is no water, which would have been welcome given that the temperature in the room is almost forty degrees. The humid atmosphere is heavenly, but it can turn hellish if you forget to drink plenty water. It’s like a scene in a Michelangelo painting of various naked deities in earnest discussion. The reality is a little different. The seven other naked people sitting around the fountain may not have godly powers, but their diversity in appearance is something to behold. To my right are three men of varying middle ages that are clearly not new to their surroundings. One of them sits in silence with his eyes closed while perspiration runs down his forehead. The two others are engaged in conversation, only looking up whenever somebody comes in. Sitting next to them is a young couple: the man is a classic Adonis figure with muscles in all the right places, while the woman has the kind of figure that I’ve only ever seen on the top shelf of magazine racks. Next, a young man with lots of tattoos sits with a nonchalant expression while watching everybody around him. And finally, to my left is a young, slim girl around my age who is making clear by her body language that she’s very nervous. Perhaps, like me, she’s come to the weekly swim at the Arlington Bath Club in Glasgow for the first time and is navigating the many contrasts found by first-timers as they get comfortable around other naturists. What contrasts? For me – a single male in his 20s at the beginning of his naked journey – the biggest one is between common perception of Naturism from those who have never tried it and the actual experience. 
When I was younger, I enjoyed being naked in the house when my parents were out. I would dare myself to run around the garden and came to an unspoken agreement with the cat to not tell my mum what I’d been up to in exchange for an extra treat or two. At that age, nudity was my little rebellion, and my upbringing had enforced the idea that people that took their clothes off were unusual and most likely had ulterior motives. I was overweight until my late teens and had big insecurities about how I looked, but despite all this, I was fascinated by the idea of being naked among others. Just before summer this year, I had a friend to stay for the weekend and he wandered in while I was in the shower (I live alone and had forgotten to lock the door that time!). We ended up staying naked with each other all day – indoors, as it was a day of typical “Scottish summer” weather! For some reason, it felt completely natural to have that sense of openness and shared vulnerability while we nakedly watched Lord of The Rings. I was hooked. I wanted more. I was conflicted between wanting to dive into Naturism and my perceptions that refused to sink. I feared being made fun of for the imaginary life ring of blubber around my waist, or of getting excited in full view of all those present. I plucked up the courage to go to the local naked swim in Aberdeen. I remember sitting in the car with fears and questions swirling around my head. “What if it’s just me and a bunch of old men touching their gherkins? What if they point and laugh? What if I walk in naked and they’re all clothed? What if there’s somebody I know? Will they notice the stretch marks around my thighs or that I forgot to trim my toenails? Will there be people having sex at the side of the pool?” It took all of five minutes inside for all of these questions to evaporate. I found myself with about twenty other perfectly normal (albeit naked) people. Once the slight shock of seeing a naked woman twice my age for the first time wore off, I almost forgot I wasn’t wearing swimming trunks. The rest of the group were all very approachable and enthusiastic about having nudity as a regular feature of their lifestyle. They talked about saunas, hotels, festivals, campsites, cruise ships, holiday resorts and even bike rides where nudity was allowed, or even mandatory. It was almost overwhelming listening to them and it forcibly ripped away my false perceptions. “Why had I never found about all this before? Why had it taken me so long to get my feet wet and dive in?” I’ve since decided that the contrast between perception and reality has caused the UK to be afraid of naturists. We don’t fit the common social categories that are usually determined by age, gender, nationality and income bracket. Naturism unites people by the simple fact that we have a human body. Naturism is one of the very few communities where we could be in the presence of bluechip billionaires, BMW salesmen, bank tellers and buskers all at the same time without knowing! Yet naturists are seen as somewhat odd, eccentric oddities that gain the kind of response reserved for moments like when Barbara Windsor’s clothing falls off in a Carry On film for the umpteenth time. Naturism is a Susan Boyle among a competing selection of lifestyles: made fun of by many of “The Uninitiated” until they experience things first hand. Speaking of which, I will have my first Alton Towers event with BN later this year. Who knows what experiences I’ll have and what contrasts will come to light during this next landmark in my Naturist journey!
Edward Shearer
 
Photo credit : Richard Stacey

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