Newsletter, September 2024
A new era for The British Sauna Society
After an epic response to the Sauna Summit that blew us away, we’ve been very busy working behind the scenes to grow the British Sauna Society into a mature organisation that can handle the pace that the UK sauna scene is growing, and be able to support and serve the growing membership that comes with.
A huge milestone will be incorporating formally as a charity this Autumn, committing the BSS to making the wide ranging benefits of sauna available to as many people in the UK as possible. There will be a few changes in how the charity is governed and our responsibilities. We will communicate this in due course and share with our membership the new constitution once it’s been approved by the Charity Commission.
In Spring next year we’ll also have the retirement of the current board of trustees, officers and ambassadors, and our membership will elect the next group to serve 2025-2027. We’re looking for passionate people who have the time and energy to push forward on our vision for UK sauna, and now is the time to start considering if you’d like to put yourself forward for election next year. We’ll share more information on how to do so in the new year. We’re also introducing a new operating structure which will allow us to involve more volunteer members in projects.
In the meantime, we’re also kicking off a major project to migrate our membership onto a dedicated platform, meaning that your membership experience (and ours of trying to manage it all!) will be infinitely more harmonious. This will allow us to take a huge step lots of you have been asking for: corporate membership.
To help support on delivering this, we’re looking for some volunteers to step forward for the following roles:
Social & Content Manager: Helping us out with managing our Instagram, pulling together content and keeping the website up to date
Tech Stack Developer: Are you a coding whizz that could help us keep our various platforms working together seamlessly? We need you!
Please email gabrielle@britishsaunasociety.org.uk with an overview of your experience and how much time you’d be able to volunteer monthly if you can help.
Aufguss Championship Update
At this year’s recent Aufguss World Championship held during the week of 9 to 15 September, over 100 participants (40 single competitors and 40 teams) gathered at Thermen Bussloo in Holland from all over the world to flex their skills in the cutting-edge Theatre Sauna there – a huge space complete with sound rig and 4.5m digital screen that holds up to 200 bathers. The British hopeful was Melissa Little who came through the qualifying rounds held in May at Galgorm Spa in Northern Ireland, and who’s brilliant one-woman show “Cailleach” explored Celtic witchcraft and spells. Nurtured by the BSS’s own Deborah Carr of Anada training and following Pavel Poliacek, our first UK Champion, Melissa is only the second UK competitor to reach the highest level of Show Aufguss, where producing a show means creating everything – light, heat, sound, scent and story. It’s a formidable undertaking and Melissa did the UK proud as it re-entered the competition alongside first-timers Estonia. In total 18 countries were competing for the top prizes including that of World Champion – this year won by Michael Niedermair representing Italy, and the top Dutch Team of Sigrid Van Rijswijk and Whitney Cox.
Global Wellness Institute Summit 2024
This November, the Global Wellness Institute heads to St Andrews in Scotland for its annual summit. The high-punching event sees industry leaders and academics congregate for four days, and it’s heading to the UK for the first time because the UK is now a top growth country in terms of global wellness. Who knew?
At a press conference held in London in September to mark the summit, the following points were highlighted:
The UK leads globally in social prescribing, especially when it comes to prescribing exercise as a part of medical treatment. The National Health Service has been successful in referring patients to public leisure centres for free exercise programs. And the BSS is working towards sauna being one of their go-to recommendations.
Today, the wellness traveller wants to go much deeper. They are demanding more specific retreats and programs to tackle specific issues. The UK is now a clear leader in creative and specific wellness retreats. Those such as Menspedition Pilgrimages, which combine mountain hiking, meditation, cold plunges, cacao ceremonies, and workshops to help men reconsider what it is to be a man in the fast-changing world; Heartbreak Hotel on the Norfolk coast offers gatherings to heal women that have experienced breakups or trauma; and the Rewire Retreats that teach teenage girls how best to regulate their emotions and develop a strong sense of self in our 24/7 social media era, were all cited as popular UK examples.
And finally, whether it’s wild swimming or the surge in cool new social sauna destinations, the UK is a leader in creative “water wellness”. There are hundreds of popular wild swim sites and clubs around the country, and as we well know, the UK is also pioneering the new wave of social bathhouses, contrast therapy centres, and wild saunas. “These new destinations are meeting the needs of younger generations who are ditching booze and bars for healthier social destinations, offering them affordable, super-social wellness experiences.”
During the summit (for which tickets are $5000 a pop), there will be guided wild swim sessions, so the British Sauna Society is busy campaigning to make sure that they bring some authentic wood fired saunas to the grounds of the prestigious Old Course Hotel to warm things up.
The 2024 Global Wellness Summit will be held November 4-7, 2024.
Sauna Tourism
Discover Tasmania’s Best Off-Season Sauna Retreats
Tasmania’s cool climate is ideal for saunas, especially during the Off Season. Tourism Tasmania has curated a list of stunning standalone saunas and accommodations with saunas, perfect for those seeking a unique wellness retreat.
From the Floating Sauna at Lake Derby, where you can plunge into icy waters after a wood-fired sauna, to Savu Saunas' luxurious portable experiences along Tasmania’s coastline, there’s something for every sauna lover. Explore mobile options like Elsewhere Sauna in Hobart or relax in The Wilderness Sauna, Tasmania’s largest barrel sauna, all surrounded by breathtaking scenery.
Whether you're looking for a sauna boat or cosy accommodations like Red Rock Hut or Bass Lodge, Tasmania’s sauna offerings are plentiful. Take a moment to unwind and enjoy the warmth!
More information on Tasmania’s sauna offerings here
Press
The Independent (paywall) How the sauna capital of the world helped recovery from burnout
OpenPR provided market forecasts and trend analysis for the sauna services industry from 2024 to 2031.
The Irish Times took readers on a five-day adventure in Estonia, highlighting saunas, bears, and wolves.
The New York Times explored the Finnish embassy’s sauna in Washington, sharing the cultural significance of sauna traditions.
Spa Business Preidlhof and Dolce Vita Hotels plan sauna retreats led by international aufguss champions
inews - How a sauna a day has helped with illness and anxiety
The Times (paywall) we go to a sauna everyday to help our marriage
New Sauna Openings
Have a new opening that you want to share? Tell us about it here.
Enjoy yourselves in the steam,
With thanks to
Gabrielle Reason, Mark Lamb, Emma O’Kelly, Zoey Cotton & Nik Torrens
Want to contribute to the next newsletter?
Email gabrielle@britishsaunasociety.org.uk with your pitch.
