British Sauna Society
Our objectives
The British Sauna Society's aims are to promote and develop sauna culture to make its physical, mental and social health and wellbeing benefits accessible to more people across the United Kingdom. It delivers this by:
- Educating and engaging the public about global bathing arts, cultures and heritage, including that of the British Isles.
- Supporting an industry of sauna practitioners and make the career relevant and accessible to diverse demographics.
- Publicising scientific research regarding thermal bathing to local authorities, public health bodies and UK-wide communities.
- Encouraging and supporting UK-based research into the health impact of regular sauna practice.
- Encourageing and supporting local authorities and health providers to recognise and promote the health and community benefits of sauna bathing within their own regions and health programmes.
- Promoting and setting standards on sauna usage and operation, and encouraging excellence in designing, building and guiding of sauna experiences to ensure that benefits are delivered effectively and safely.
Our activities
Membership
The British Sauna Society currently operates an Individual Membership, but in 2025 will be launching business memberships to better support the growth of sauna in the UK.
Education, events & knowledge sharing
The British Sauna Society offers its own range of educative events and information sharing, as well as featuring and promoting third party events on its website, in its newsletter and through social media. We have an active inbox where we endeavour to answer queries to the best of our knowledge, and will connect people to the right people in our network where appropriate. We do not offer business advice or consultancy for those interested in setting up a business and asking for guidance, but do connect them with other entrepreneurs who have taken on similar plans and challenges.
In 2025, we are planning a number of public education and engagement projects, including hosting the second year of the British Sauna Summit in May and tripling its capacity. This event hosts pioneers and experts from the global sauna community, offering panels and talks. Example topics: reports on global contemporary bathing culture; sauna art and architecture; opportunities and challenges for UK sauna; how sauna affects the body to improve health outcomes.
Research & campaigning
The British Sauna Society is working with a number of doctors and therapists to publicise the science and research on the health benefits of sauna practice:
- Publishing qualitative research and reports on the perceived impact that sauna has for individuals
- Attending events such as the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) to share information and data on the health impact of sauna and to advocate for its adoption as a preventative health measure recommended by Social Prescribers.
- Continue to develop relationships with journalists who are keen to write about and publicise the research and data on the health benefits of sauna.
Accessibility/Inclusivity
As part of our research, we are collecting demographic data to understand how widely sauna practices are being adopted across different demographics. This will allow us to identify groups who research suggests would benefit from its mental, physical and social health benefits, but aren’t currently accessing it. With this data, we will plan targeted outreach.
International relations
We will continue to foster relationships with the International Sauna Association (ISA) as the national member for the UK and with other National members.
culture.
If we achieve our organisational purposes - to make sauna culture accessible to more people across the United Kingdom, in a way that is safe and honours its cultural heritage - we believe it will provide a enjoyable and accessible way to improve the physical, mental and social health of individuals and communities.