Can you help us find a space for Leeds Community Sauna?

Help us find a home for Leeds Community Sauna

We are looking to develop a community sauna to launch in the September 2025. Leeds lacks good sauna options, and creating a beautiful space of togetherness and health as a community asset is our goal. We are working with the Community Sauna Network which has a developed a network of similar spaces in London and Bristol and is engaged in developing new saunas in other UK locations.

The Vision

One or two saunas held in residency in an inner city space (postcodes LS1-7), with a cold water option of plunge pools or overhead buckets, and potentially a chill out/ social area. We are looking to run the organisation either as a CIC or as a workers’ coop.

At a basic level, saunas do an amazing job of getting people in the same room together, talking and sharing space. But we also want to treat the sauna space as an accessible, safe, community asset. The business is first and foremost about being an asset to the community it serves, not about making as much profit as possible. To do this, we have a few ideas:

• Ensure the sauna is financially accessible to all in its pricing model.
• Membership scheme to help people feel as if they are a part of something.
• Timeshare schemes e.g. volunteer to wash towels and receive free saunas.
• Linking with community organisations in the city such as: Mafwa; Pafras; Basis; Leeds OWLS (older wiser local seniors); community centres (oblong; RJ) etc. and co-designing schemes with them.
• Wellness events such as storytelling sessions, yoga therapy sessions, breathwork.
• Cultural events that take place at the sauna inviting a wide array of people e.g. live music, poetry nights, parties.

Location

We need a space! We’re looking to hold the saunas in residence in an inner city location, ideally postcodes LS1-LS7. The benefit to a potential landlord is two-fold – firstly, huge social and community-building benefits, and secondly as a source of passive income in the form of rent/a percentage of profits (we are open to discussing financial arrangements).

Do you know of any sites that might be interested in hosting Leeds Community Sauna? Maybe you’re part of an existing community organisation with some spare outdoor space? Maybe you’ve spotted some land belonging to the council that has gone unused for years? Maybe you know of a site that someone is looking to let out?

Any leads would be appreciated greatly! Drop us an email at leedssauna@gmail.com if you have any ideas! (Including any ideas that aren’t to do with location – we’re always happy to meet and kick around ideas about collaborating with other organisations!)

And look out for future blog posts on the development of Leeds Community Sauna as we go forward.