Nordic Hut: A mobile sauna in Swansea

Aim

Nordic Hut hope to bring a mobile Skandinavian, woodburning sauna to the stunning Swansea coastline.

WHAT AM I HOPING TO BRING

Nordic Hut will bring an authentic Skandinavian, wood-fired sauna to the incredible beaches around Swansea. Being a part of the Nordic Hut not only gives you access to wellness in nature, it also inspires you to live a happy and healthy live in general. With a monthly newsletter and various events and sessions, we hope to introduce the community to the sauna culture and add other healthy experiences to this.                                                           

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME

My name is Monique. I am Danish and currently live in Swansea with my husband. I have a wild passion for nature and currently create educational events for World Wildlife Fund. 

I have worked as a lifeguard for more than 7 years and sauna was a part of my weekly routine. I absolutely love the rejuvenating effect sauna has on your body. I have always been interested in food's impact on the body and am currently undertaking a course in anti-inflammatory foods which I will share with the Nordic Hut Society. 

I have grown up in a little coastal town called Dragør and winter swimming followed by sauna has always been a 'thing' in our community. 

Now, this 'thing' has spread to all of Denmark - the sauna culture is huge! There are literally waiting lists to become part of them - and I get why. Not many other experiences offer an adrenaline kick followed by total relaxation. The cold water gets the adrenaline rushing through your body and the detoxifying dry heat afterwards calms it down and leaves you completely relaxed and rejuvenated. I love how sauna culture brings people together, sometimes even perfect strangers.

I was only meant to stay in Swansea for one year but fell in love with the incredible nature, stunning beaches and community environment - and of course my husband. 

I would love to develop the Danish sauna culture and way of living to our local community. I want to extent the beachside season so that we can connect with nature no matter what the weather looks like.  

THE BENEFITS OF SAUNA

The mobile sauna has a lot of health benefits. Here are just a few of them: 

COMMUNITY

• Jobs by only hiring local work force 
• Something the community can look forward to and become part of
• A social place to connect with others

HEALTH

• Saunas improve overall health, wellness and performance
• Saunas aid in recovery after intense physical activity. 
• Saunas relax muscles and soothe aches/pains in both muscles and joints
• Saunas flush toxins via sweating process
• Saunas improve brain health
• Saunas relieve stress
• Saunas can induce a deeper sleep
• Saunas can help fight illness
• Sauna cleanses the skin
• Saunas burn calories

MY VISION

I want to extent the beachside season and offer people a place to connect with nature throughout the year. You can use the sauna to relax your muscles and warm up after a surf or a swim, or you can use it if you just want to get down to the coast and relax and rewind.

Over the winter (Oct-April), we will place the Nordic Hut in one place. People can become daily, monthly or yearly members. Over the summer, we will place the Hut at different events and at various locations to introduce people to the healthy benefits of the sauna culture. 

Over the winter, I plan to have different events focusing on health and wellness. As a member of the sauna, you will receive anti-inflammatory recipes and motivational content. This will boost your immune system and get you through winter - or into a healthier and happier lifestyle.

A final vision of mine is to have as little environmental impact as possible. I have set up an arrangement with Room to Grow who will re-use our ash to make nutritious compost. Depending on our location, I intend on setting up a rainwater outdoor shower. It will not be allowed to use any shampoo or soap in the shower unless it has been made by us. The hope is that Nordic Hut will not only be a hub for relaxation and general wellbeing, but also a hub for generating new ways of wellness on nature's premises.       

WHAT WILL YOUR MONEY GO TOWARDS? 

I have chosen to do a 'fixed' Crowdfunder which means that if I don't reach my target, Crowdfunder, will pay back your money. My aim is to have the sauna ready by October 2021. We have been in touch with amazingly gifted artisan crafters. The funding will go towards buying an authentic Scandinavian sauna with a wood burning stove and flute. We hope to be able to buy a sauna with space for 6-8 people if we reach our target. Furthermore, the funding will cover start-up costs such as insurance, licenses etc.

COVID-19 - HEALTH AND SAFETY

During these COVID-19 times, a huge emphasis has been on how to set this up. If COVID-19 is still an issue come October 2021, we will set up a system with time slots for the saunas and ensure a deep clean after every use. We will of course follow governmental guidelines and navigate in line with those.

This type of sauna does not require much cleaning as it heats up to 90 degrees and hence kills all bacteria and viruses. With thorough temperature monitoring, we can disinfect the sauna through heat. We will however always ensure that the hut is clean, that everyone uses towels and disinfect all handles and other commonly touched places on a regular basis.                                                       

We will always have water, a first aid kit and fire extinguisher available. If there is no shower on site, we will have an outdoor rainwater shower, where people can cool off if they should feel over heated. I have a first aid certificate and will refresh that on a yearly basis. Should we be hiring in the future, they will have a first aid course as well.

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I very much hope you will help make this sauna dream come true!                                                          

This project closed unsuccessfully on 13th June 2021