Warm /
A mobile community sauna in Birmingham.
After 2 successful pop-up sauna events, we have brought a horsebox to turn into a mobile sauna to take to the people of Birmingham for regular access.
We have the funds to put in the basic interior, but we would love your help to make our sauna dreams come true.
If you donate today, you are buying a sauna membership slot to bank/use/slip into, from June onwards when we are in operation. We will be announcing our locations and residencies throughout April, May and June.
Wanna warm/up and help this start/up?
Details below…
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Why a sauna?
Sauna
Regular sauna usage is being found to have so many physical health benefits, cardiorespiratory, for circulation, lowering blood pressure, our immune system, support muscle mass, reduction in the risk of vascular diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, and neurocognitive diseases*
There are also benefits to our mental health, relaxation, supporting our Central Nervous System, some studies report decreases in depression symptoms of users**.
And more research is being undertaken.
We’d like more people to have access to sauna culture.
References:
*https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/s0025-6196(18)30275-1/fulltext
**https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10681252/
Community
We are a group of people with a passion for bringing people together for unique and special experiences. We see similar sauna set-ups across the country and think Birmingham babs deserve a bit of the same action.
We are also passionate about wellbeing community, socialising and connecting with people outside of a nightlife and party lifestyle.
The city needs third spaces. The sauna is a third space.
Nature
Nature is a healer. Straight up. We hope for the sauna to illuminate natural spaces across the city and give us more of an excuse to spend time there.
We also aim to look at making the fuel usage as circular as we can.
Images from our November pop-up at Birmingham Nature & Wellbeing Centre
Why a mobile sauna?
The reason this sauna is being set up as mobile, is to take it to the people.
We held a really successful pop-up in November 2024 at Birmingham Nature and Wellbeing Centre, where we met local people and people who’d travelled across the city alike to participate.
Our aim is to establish regular residencies at a mixture of urban sites and natural sits across North, South, West and East of the city, bring saunas to people, and have regular spots with affordable prices.
We are currently looking at £12 a public session, with a pay it forward price of £15 or a solidarity ticket of £8, and partnering with organisations for free sessions for locals.
We will also be available for hire for events, functions and parties and aim to do regular community events with adjacent wellbeing somatic activities, and of course music.
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What would we like to buy with the donations raised?
Priority one £:
Handrail installation, and reinforcement of steps and ramp to maximise accessibility for those sauna lovers who need extra support accessing the sauna safely.
Priority two ££:
Develop environmentally sustainable shower options to bring along with us.
Priority three £££:
Purchase cold plunge pools to accompany the heat treatment and maximise on the health benefits for body mind (and spirit!)
Dream: Sound equipment
We would love to have a dream and scheme about incorporating sauna - safe - sound options for music!
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So who are we? And what's our story so far?
Story time now, I hope you're sitting comfortably...
One of our founders, Artist & Community worker, Bethany Slinn, has been using a sauna at Everlast Gym Kings Heath (represent) for 3 years now and along the way accidentally realised the magic benefit of regular sauna use for her mental and physical health, helping her move through treatment for PTSD. She loves the chitchat and community in the sauna, is often late for meeting pals because of chatting in said sauna.. And wants to create opportunities to come into the body, in community, through sauna for Birmingham.
A sauna builder and general dude passing through Brum on his boat called Sebastian Hervas introduced her to the absolute babs, the Community Sauna Network based in London, who then supported Warm/ to bring Loyly the sauna up the M40 to Birmingham for a weekend pop-up in November 2024 and they continue to support Warm/ at the start of our journey.
Birmingham Nature and Wellbeing Centre kindly hosted us at their beautiful sight in November 2024 where we were joined by friends, old faces, new faces, sauna lovers, sauna triers and even a family of 4. We collaborated with Gather & Ground community (@gather.n.ground) and with pan-pan. Collaboration is at the heart of Warm/ hence the ‘/’.
Deena (dee’cleo, Selexctorhood Community outreach) and Vlad (pan-pan, The Birch Boys) jumped on board with the pop-up for November 2024 where they both fell head over heels in love with Loyly the sauna, with Deena wanting Birmingham’s community to get a slice of the delicious sauna pie and Vlad absolutely itching to build a sauna for Brum. The build will be supported by architect Razvan Pop (Camera Architecture Ltd)
So here we are then, with an empty horsebox and a loan to get started building. All we need now is your money…
Will you help us make our sauna dreams come true for Brum?
Image of the limited edition A3 print for your wall:
Please note the printer is still to be confirmed.