The idea
Folkestone Sea Sauna is a community group, for and by the local sea swimming community. Our aim is to continue to build on and enhance the sea swimming community and make cold water therapy and sauna use accessible and affordable for all.
Open water swimming activity in the UK has been on a steady increase over the past decade, with numbers rising dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As well as access for Rowing Club Members we will be offering regular open days to non-members, and special free sessions for local charities and groups such as Mind and TouchBase.
What we'll deliver
- A Finnish style sauna fitting up to 12 people with a changing area
- Make it available every day throughout the winter months
- Provide free access to all via regular open days and events
- Offer free regular slots to charities and other local groups
- Provide everyday access to sea swimmers via membership to Folkestone Rowing Club
Why it's a great idea
Over the past decade, more research has gone into cold water therapy and the many positive effects it has on our mental and physical health.
Folkestone and Hythe has developed a thriving sea swimming community over the past few years. Their Facebook group ‘FOLKESTONE SEA SWIMMERS’ has grown such that it now has well over 1,400 members. A sauna will give this community a space to meet up and warm up. It will also encourage more people to give sea swimming a go and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Folkestone Rowing Club has a concrete garage-like building available, which is currently used for storage. We plan to refurbish and refit the building with a sauna. Through an affordable membership scheme we will make traditional Scandinavian cold water and sauna therapy available to the local sea swimming community and anyone else who wants to give it a go.
Steps to get it done
- Raise the building cost via crowdfunding
- Appoint a building contractor to build the sauna over the summer of 2022, (overseen by surveyor Peter Godden)
- Open the sauna by October 2022
- Once up and running, to hand over the day to day running and maintenance to Folkestone Rowing Club
