65 people visited the tents in just four hours earlier this year
Sam Black opened Detox Wirral last year(Image: Supplied)
Two tents on a Merseyside beach have been intriguing passers-by for nearly a year. Sam Black, 30, from Birkenhead, is the brains behind the structures on Leasowe Bay.
Officially called Detox Wirral, Sam says it’s been open for nearly a year, but it’s still a surprise to the many people who pass it on the beach. Inside the tents are mobile saunas which attracts groups of people every weekend.
Speaking to the ECHO, Sam says: “The footfall is huge. There’s so many dog walkers, families and cyclists going past. That’s been really good for awareness because a sauna on the beach isn’t something you see every day. It’s been open for 11 months now but you still get people stopping and going, ‘what’s that’?”
Detox Wirral is most popular in the summer months, but Sam says they still had a total of 65 people visit when it was open for four hours on New Year’s Day.
Sam had the idea when he lived away from Merseyside. She said: ”I used to live in a place called Tynemouth, about 20 minutes outside of Newcastle.
The tens are located on Leasowe Bay(Image: Supplied)
“It’s very similar to the Wirral actually because it’s right on the beach. There’s a group of like cold water dippers which I started getting into. Then all of a sudden these mobile saunas just popped up, so I started combining my dips with a sauna afterwards.
“I had the idea of doing it myself because I was moving back to the Wirral. I was thinking about how good this would be. I know the area really well and grew up playing football on the beach.”
Sam, who also runs an online gift shop, says his reason for using saunas has changed over time. He said: “Firstly it was mainly the physical benefits that I wanted to feel it for – helping me just sweat out after a workout or something.
“But then it became more of the mental health side of things – to have a bit of a moment to myself in the morning and just take a break.
“I was running my other business and that can be stressful. I found myself going to these saunas on the beach and just being completely relaxed and in the moment.”
These days, Sam encounters many customers who are in similar positions. He said: “I’m a bit of a therapist now. They come and tell me all their problems, about the week they’ve had.
Sam says he has a built a strong community over the last year(Image: Supplied)
“It’s just nice seeing people take a moment for themselves and smile. When they come out, they’re just like, oh wow, I really needed that. I’m glad to be able to provide that for them.”
A growing number of saunas are opening in Merseyside. Last year, Louise Gallagher opened the Mersea Sauna at Crosby lake and WYLD, a flaunting sauna in the Albert Dock, starting taking customers in November.
Sam is happy with how things are going so far and plans to replace the tents with a permanent structure in June. He said: “It’s a bit overwhelming to see how far we’ve come.
“We’ve got a community down there. We see people go in the tents and then they’ll come out and be exchanging their Instagram. That’s probably like the thing that I’m probably most proud of actually is the community we built down there.”
Detox Wirral is located on Leasowe Bay. You can find out more here.