A Guide to

The National Club for Bears

What Is It?
Bears' Club UK is a national club for gay or bisexual men (small, medium or large) who are hairy, bearded or moustached, and their admirers. The Club does not impose any dress code.

How Big Is It?
At present BCUK has over 400 members around the UK, and other members overseas. This makes us one of the largest gay clubs in Europe. Within the UK, we have members throughout the country, not just the major cities. Wherever you live, there is almost bound to be a member living nearby!

What Does It Offer?
Your subscription brings you the following:

• From The Den the bi-monthly club magazine containing news from the club, with its main content being from the members - short stories, letters, ideas, poems, music reviews, personal adverts and so on.
• Gatherings Around The UK. We have held several well-attended weekends and events around the UK. Other smaller gatherings are held in clubs and pubs around the UK and members also host meetings in their homes. Regular monthly gatherings are held around the country including Aberdeen, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leicester, London, Newcastle, Norwich, Sheffield, Southend, Wessington and Wolverhampton. Details of these and other events are given on the meetings page.
• Free Contact Adverts. Each magazine contains several pages of personal ads which are published free of charge, including a box number service. For a small fee you may also include a photo. We also publish trade adverts.
• Special Club Merchandise is available, such as T-shirts bearing the bears logo of BCUK, and club badges to identify yourself to other club members. We also sell teddy bears, red ribbons and other popular merchandise.
• A Club Membership Card is issued to each member entitling them to special discounts from selected nightclubs, shops, mail order companies, hotels, guest houses and saunas all around the UK.
• An Accommodation Service called HosBearTality is provided free, to help you find places to stay overnight with other members.
• Contact With Other Members in your area or anywhere else is possible through the confidential club directory. A directory listing every member by first name and area only is available to all members. Any member can contact any other member simply by writing to them via the club. We pass your letters on, providing you enclose a stamp!
• And Most of All the opportunity to make lots of new friends locally, nationally or internationally.

Plus...
Carl Morris Fund - set up in remembrance of the founder of Bears' Club UK, this is a fund to raise money at events around the country and from donations from members. Amounts raised are regularly donated to HIV and AIDS related charities nominated by BCUK members.

Stalls or meeting places are usually arranged at events around the country to recruit new members, sell merchandise and meet as many members as possible.

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