Brighton Yoga Foundation brought free yoga to marginalised communities for more than ten years. This pioneering charity was set up as the Brighton Yoga Festival in 2014 to run an annual free-entry yoga festival in the city to help reach those in the wider community who were not aware of the benefits of yoga. In 2016, it became a registered charity and changed its name to the Brighton Yoga Foundation.
The charity worked hard with community partners to bring free or subsidised yoga classes to those in greatest need and who do not normally have access to yoga. These included yoga for mental health, for people in prison, for women recovering from abuse & trauma, for stressed teenagers, for the police and for the NHS.
It also ran the Brighton Yoga Festival for more than ten years – bringing together yoga teachers from across the city and beyond to offer yoga classes and workshops.
The Foundation also provided many services to the local yoga community These included a directory of yoga studios, regular discussion forums and a mat rental service.
In 2024, it was key in setting up the UK Community Yoga Collective that brings together similar yoga community outreach projects in the UK, and the Yoga Teachers Trade Union
As founders of key annual events such as the Brighton Yoga Festival (the largest not for profit festival in the country) and Yoga on the Beach, they have played a vital role in bringing the yoga community together.
Watch here as Davy Jones, co-founder and chair of BYF explains his yoga journey and the vision of the foundation.
In 2025, the Brighton Natural Health Foundation and the Brighton Yoga Foundation (BYF) merged – uniting our shared vision of making mindful movement accessible to everyone throughout Brighton and Hove, and beyond.
By joining forces, we have strengthened our ability to inspire and empower individuals to embrace mindful movement for a healthier, happier lifestyle. This new chapter marks an exciting opportunity to drive positive change for people facing health inequalities in our community. Together, we are committed to creating a lasting impact on the well-being of our city.
As part of the merger, the BYF classes, teachers, staff and trustees were transferred to BNHF, providing continuity and enabling the continued expansion of our outreach work with a network of experienced and compassionate teachers. BNHF has continued to support key community events such as The Brighton Yoga Festival and Yoga on the Beach and retained the BYF’s mat and equipment hire service.
