Helen Berriman loves being nude. And she doesn’t care what anyone thinks.
The British woman, who identifies as a naturist, said she and her husband cop criticism for their lifestyle choice, but said it won’t stop her from going fully nude in public as she insists “it’s not weird.”
The Sun reports it is not illegal to be nude in public in England and Wales provided the nudity is not designed to “upset” or “shock” other members of the public.
Helen believes it should stay legal in the UK as she loves the “invigorating” feeling of hiking in the nude.
“To be naked in nature is such a liberating and comforting feeling,” the mom-of-one told The Sun.
“Feeling the sun on my skin and the breeze in my hair is invigorating.”
“There is so much else we could be concerned about”
Helen is a member of the Naturist Foundation – whose motto is ‘bare is beautiful’ – and appeared starkers on Good Morning Britain in May to debate naked sunbathing.
“With all the things going on in the world at the moment, are we really that bothered about a nude body sunbathing in a quiet corner of a park?” she asked on the show.
“There is so much else we could be concerned about.”
Helen, 47, was introduced to the nudist lifestyle by her now husband Simon in 2015 when the former school friends connected over Facebook.
Shortly after Covid lockdowns, Simon suggested the pair go on an organized naked hike for the first time.
“I discovered naturism and I accept the skin I’m in”
“I almost choked on my coffee,” Helen told The Sun.
“Before I had a chance to change my mind, I found myself committing to attending my first organized naked walk the very next day.”
In the two years since Helen’s love for nudism has grown, and the couple regularly take nude walks throughout the British countryside to raise money for charity.
“If you’d said to me three years ago that I would go on a naked hike, I would’ve thought you were mad,” Helen said.
“So what changed? It’s simple: I discovered naturism and I accept the skin I’m in.”
Helen now encourages more women to get involved in naturism, and says getting naked in public had helped her body confidence “skyrocket.”
“At first, I was a little worried about encountering the public,” she told The Sun. “But the others reassured me that it was unlikely.
“And even if we did, it wouldn’t really matter as naked walks are perfectly legal in the UK.”
Helen says she does occasionally run into members of the public, but says they are mostly farmers who are happy to wave to her group.
She also recalled a moment when a mailman in his van waved at her during a hike.
“My only wish is that other women join me next time,” she said.
“It’s not boring, it’s not difficult, it’s not weird. Give it a try, you might like it too.”
