Into the Saunaverse
The rise of Community Sauna Baths
It's mid-afternoon on a gray November Saturday in London, and I’m wedged onto the top shelf of a packed 30-seater sauna wondering where the ‘Tribal Sound Journey’ is heading. Our guides Mantis and Anna invite us to take a few deep breaths, a drum begins an off-beat and the sound of the digeridoo reverberates around the room. Anna’s vocals begins with soft whispers and hisses, growing with the ferocity of the heat into intense Shamanic-inspired chanting. The man next to me who had been quietly practising yogic breathing emits a low moan. He has turned the colour of boiled lobster.
Welcome to The Saunaverse, a festival of sauna bathing that takes place twice a year at Community Sauna Baths in London’s Hackney Wick, bringing a party vibe to the ad hoc sauna village that occupies the backyard of a former public baths from the 1930s. In contrast to more upmarket bathhouses and spas, the not-for-profit Community Sauna Baths is part of a fast-growing grassroots movement which aims to make bathing affordable and inclusive for as many people as possible. Since opening in 2021, its success – they attracted over 250,000 bathers since opening – has spawned three more sites in London, two in the works, and a Community Sauna Network that helps others set up Community Sauna Baths. According to Emma O’Kelly, author of Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat, ‘It’s hard to overestimate the impact Community Sauna Baths has had on the UK sauna scene. Since opening more than three years ago, it has become a world-famous sauna destination and thanks to its efforts other cities are starting their own fires, offering similar affordable, inclusive, authentic sauna experiences.’
Community Sauna Baths is on a mission to bring local, affordable and authentic sauna bathing to neighbourhoods around the UK. We spoke to founder and operator Charlie Duckworth to find out more about the mechanics of bringing sauna to the people.
CULTURE OF BATHING: Community Sauna Baths was set up as a Community Interest Company (CIC), how does this help your mission?
CHARLIE DUCKWORTH: We are legally a not-for-profit organization with a stated community purpose: to make sauna bathing affordable and inclusive for as many people as possible. All of our profits and assets are reinvested back into the organization. An added benefit is the ability to assist other CICs with similar goals. This has been crucial in establishing the Community Sauna Network – an initiative aimed at growing community saunas across the country. Through the network, we share financial resources, knowledge, and support.
‘It’s hard to overestimate the impact Community Sauna Baths has had on the UK sauna scene…Since opening more than three years ago, it has become a world-famous sauna destination and thanks to its efforts other cities are starting their own fires…’
Emma O’Kelly, author of Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat
CoB: The Saunaverse is held in the Hackney Wick Baths - how does the festival transform your usual spaces, and how closely do you partner with Saunaverse?
CHARLIE: We thoroughly enjoy working with Saunaverse and the first festival was a major turning point for our business. It brought significant investment in infrastructure, including additional saunas built by Saunaverse, and the energy and creativity surrounding it acted as a springboard for growth. The festival offers an opportunity to do things a little differently. It creates a vibrant, party-like atmosphere and transforms the space into something truly special for the day. Tom (Tom de Wilton, Chief Steam Officer at The Saunaverse) will be building saunas for our next two sites.
‘Our mission is to make sauna bathing affordable and inclusive for as many people as possible.’
Charlie Duckworth, founder of Community Sauna Baths
CoB: In what ways do you engage with the community and bring different demographics into the Community Baths?
CHARLIE: We offer sessions designed to cater to different groups and needs, including women-only sessions, trans-specific sessions, sessions for older adults, and those tailored for different ethnic communities. Next year, we are introducing sessions specifically for disabled users at our Stratford site. We employ a full-time Community Engagement Officer, whose role is to connect with diverse demographics in the areas we serve. We’ve found that proactive outreach is essential, as sauna bathing can sometimes feel unfamiliar or inaccessible to certain groups.
CoB: Can you tell me more about the social prescribing programme? (Social prescribing allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to prescribe non-clinical services to patients to improve their wellbeing).
CHARLIE: We are passionate about normalizing sauna bathing as a socially prescribed activity. For people referred through the National Health Service, we offer 10 free sauna sessions over two months followed by a review to assess their progress. This program is fully funded by Community Sauna. Additionally, we provide free sauna access to NHS and charity workers as a gesture of gratitude for their vital work. Our work was recognised by the British Sauna Society when we won the social prescribing sauna of the year award.
Look out for the next Saunaverse festival in 2025, or book a session at the Community Sauna Baths here.