Introducing Diversify Vanlife UK

After almost a year of preparation, we’re ecstatic to announce that we have officially launched Diversify Vanlife UK, in partnership with Diversify Vanlife, based in the US. 

What is Diversify Vanlife UK?

In the first instance, Diversify Vanlife UK is a digital platform on instagram. However, it is so much more. Diversify Vanlife UK will be a community, a safe space for underrepresented and marginalised individuals within the vanlife and nomadic communities. A space where voices will not be silenced or quietened by the hands of others, but elevated and celebrated. 

What we hope to achieve

This is a space to elevate those who do not fit the white, cis, straight, able-bodied narrative of nomads and outdoorists represented in our media. We’re here to show that ANYONE can hit the trail, the road, and experience this earth in their own way.

In creating this platform, we aim to be a safe space to share personal experiences, celebrate achievements, and up important conversations. In the coming months we aim to build this diverse and inclusive community and in 2022, we hope to bring together the DV UK community with meet ups and workshops. 

The ultimate dream would be to see this community fully represented both in the reality of vanlife and in portrayals of vanlife online. We are not a temporary trend, we will be seen, heard and considered a valuable and equal member of the vanlife and nomadic community. 

What you can do

Those reading this from a privileged position, there are a number of ways you can help us in our mission. 

Unlearn and learn

It’s one thing to listen, but to make a real difference, you need to be prepared to unlearn and learn. When going against what you may have previously believed, your first instinct may be to defend and fight back. Rather than resist new information, be open and take it in.

Listen

Be prepared to sit back and listen. After centuries of having our voices repressed, it’s important that our voices are heard without fear of being silenced or ignored. 

Support

First and foremost you should support and celebrate individuals within the POC, GRT, plus sized, disabled, LGBTQ+ & other underrepresented communities. It’s not as simple as sharing an instagram post. Those with large audiences should be using their platforms to regularly engage, support and involve us in the community. 

Why is it important to Quirky Campers?

Quirky Campers believe adventures are for everyone and that no one should be excluded or marginalised from vanlife whether for a weekend adventure or as a way of life.

However, as things stand, we know that our owners, our customers and our wider community are not representative of the UK’s diverse population. In fact it was at Camp Quirky 2019 that we first realised with a shock that despite being surrounded by a sea of lovely faces, those faces were all… white.

As our platform has continued to grow, it has become increasingly clear that we have a responsibility and ability to make a change.. We knew that a temporary campaign was not going to make the impact we wanted to make. In order to make a real difference, this had to be a permanent platform that evolved and grew with and for the community.

Meet the UK Team

Lindsay Berresford

If we weren’t working to make a change then we were reinforcing the status quo.

Lindsay the co-founder, CEO and dreamer in chief at Quirky Campers. She believes passionately in adventures being for everyone and spends much of her time nurturing the amazing community of vanlifers. She balances work with homeschooling three children. 

Why is Diversify Vanlife UK important to you?

It’s not ok that there are so many people looking at portrayals of vanlife and not seeing themselves reflected back. But for too long that felt like somebody else’s problem; what could ‘li’l old me’ do about it? Then one day it hit me that if we weren’t working to make a change then we were reinforcing the status quo. And in fact as one of the largest UK vanlife platforms, we have an absolute responsibility to make change happen.

I dream of seeing a sea-change in the make-up of people enjoying vanlife, whether part-time or full, and in particular having that reflected at our festival, Camp Quirky. I want people of colour, LGBTQ+, disabled and plus-sized folx  to feel wanted and welcome in this community and to see themselves represented.

As a cis-het, non-disabled, ‘white’ woman this is not a space to centre my voice and my experiences. I will be sitting back and learning from the lived experiences of others. I’m so excited to ‘pass the mic’ to the community and to my incredible colleagues, all with the support and invaluable expertise of the Diversify Vanlife US team.

Linzi Evans

To hold an active role in the development of this community is an absolute privilege.

Linzi is responsible for creating and sharing content for our Instagram page, celebrating nomads from diverse backgrounds and keeping connected to the DV UK community. Linzi self-converted her own camper (Stevie) back in 2018 and has been living the vanlife ever since, having spent time exploring Europe and the majority of the UK.  

Why is Diversify Vanlife UK important to you?

Social media plays a massive role in today’s world, but not always in the best way. When it comes to vanlife, the people depicted on social platforms rarely paint a complete picture of the diverse selection of individuals you can in fact find within the community, particularly if they do not fit the ‘popular’ stereotype. This has made it almost impossible for certain people to feel included or welcomed. This is where Diversify Vanlife UK comes in. 

Having converted my own campervan as not only a solo female but as someone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, I repeatedly felt underrepresented in the vanlife world, particularly when searching for how-to videos on YouTube or working my way around the mechanics of my camper as, in all instances, it was either straight, cis men who had created the content or woman accompanied by a male partner. Although undeniably helpful, I recognised very early on that there was a diversity issue and really wanted to take active steps to change this narrative in whatever way I could. 

To hold an active role in the development of this community is an absolute privilege. I look forward to engaging with our followers and connecting with members to share similar experiences to my own.

Lauren Depass

This community would have made an incredible difference to my initial vanlife experience.

Lauren is our in-house word wizard. She will be combining her writing skills and passion for uplifting diverse communities to provide a stage and resources for underrepresented individuals. Lauren currently lives full-time in her own camper (Big Blue), travelling the UK with her boyfriend and two dogs.

Why is Diversify Vanlife UK important to you?

When initially taking an interest in vanlife, I took to social media platforms to gain inspiration and ideas, but was soon hit with the realisation that the vanlife industry on a whole is incredibly whitewashed and targeted towards those with privilege. To find someone who remotely looked like me was impossible. I was instantly left feeling deflated, questioning whether this is a world that I belong in, despite feeling incredibly drawn to it. 

This community would have made an incredible difference to my initial vanlife experience. No one should have to question whether they belong. I will not only assist in running this platform, but also be part of it, connecting with others who share similar experiences and that in itself is pretty special. As a POC who is a part of the plus-size and LGBTQ+ Community, there will be times that I am able to educate, but at the same time, there are many things I don’t know and will be able to sit back, listen and be educated. Don’t just witness the change, be part of the change. Follow us on Instagram and show your support.