YHAgroup.org.uk

SYHA issued a press release yesterday announcing the closure of five of its hostels. The news was picked up by the BBC, but does not seem to have made much impression elsewhere yet – including the SYHA’s own website.

Here is the news release in full:

SYHA Hostelling Scotland announces changes to its network

SYHA Hostelling Scotland, Scotland’s largest network of Youth Hostels, has announced its intention to enhance the future performance and long-term sustainability of its network of 46 Youth Hostels.

It will achieve this by closing five of its existing Youth Hostels to make improvements necessary to meet rising customer expectations and to compete with recent increases in the quality and quantity of other low budget accommodation.

The decision was reached as part of SYHA’s ongoing annual review process and the Youth Hostels earmarked for closure are located in Arden, Broadmeadows, Canisbay, Kirk Yetholm and Melrose. It is anticipated that the recommendations and other structural changes will be implemented in stages from February 2012 onwards.

These particular locations have been selected as they are failing to attract a viable number of guests. In addition, where they are in a poor state of repair insufficient funds exist to refurbish them in a sustainable way.

Keith Legge, Chief Executive of SYHA Hostelling Scotland said: “While it is always sad to close some iconic and long standing Youth Hostels, the reality is that SYHA has to make responsible decisions which support our charitable aims. As a not-for-profit, self-funding charitable organisation, we have a duty to make best use of scarce resources to ensure a sustainable future.”

SYHA believes in the importance of enabling young people in particular to learn about Scotland’s culture and natural heritage whilst improving their health and wellbeing by encouraging them to be active and spend time outdoors.

In line with this ethos, the organisation aims to ensure that sufficient investment is available to provide accommodation and other services that facilitate the ongoing commitment to its youth development programmes. This investment is also important in meeting the needs and expectations of today’s budget travellers in an ever increasingly competitive market.

Keith said: “As a result of listening to our guests’ feedback about their experiences, requirements and expectations, we are striving to have a more sustainable, modern and fit for purpose hostelling network for the future of like-minded budget travellers from within and to Scotland.”

In the meantime SYHA is continuing with its upgrade programme to meet market trends in guest expectations for high quality, affordable accommodation, as seen recently in Lochranza, Oban and Glenbrittle.

Keith added: “SYHA aims to offer guests the best possible facilities at an affordable budget cost. Our ongoing review has resulted in many of our properties being refurbished and upgraded to provide smaller rooms, some with en-suite facilities to suit couples, families and smaller groups along with the traditional overnight and larger group accommodation and services provision.”

It sounds like the Scots are adopting a very similar policy to that being followed south of the border – closing and selling hostels to invest in the remainder of the network. I’m sure it will be just as controversial up there.

Of course, with a much smaller network to begin with, the effects of each closure will be more keenly felt. This won’t be helped by the fact that three of the five hostels are in the same area – by closing Broadmeadows, Melrose and Kirk Yetholm, SYHA have wiped out their entire offering in the borders region.

I stayed at two of them during a recent walk along the St Cuthbert’s Way. Melrose is a “big Victorian house” hostel – a type that can be difficult (and expensive) to adapt to 21st century tastes, so I’m not wholly surprised to see it on the list. Kirk Yetholm is a smaller, cosier spot – and of course it’s at the end (or the beginning) of the Pennine Way. I’m surprised they can’t keep it going.

Readers will remember that, not so long ago, a batch of YHA closures looked sure to clear almost all the hostels from the southern side of that border. What actually happened is that a mix of enterprise scheme takeovers, partnerships with locals, and even a couple of new hostels have left the North Pennines as (deservedly) one of YHA’s most thriving areas.

So, given the resourcefulness of border folk, maybe there’s more to hear from this story. I certainly hope so!

STOP PRESS: A statement about the closures has now been made on the SYHA site. There’s also been coverage in the John O’Groat Journal and the Southern Reporter.

Andy Partridge, one of the staff (I assume) at YHA Burley, has uploaded a short video of his hostel to YouTube:

I’d like to see more videos like this – it’s a great way to counter people’s preconceptions of what youth hostels are like. Of course, by filming the hostel when it’s empty, Andy doesn’t capture the friendly atmosphere of a building full of hostellers. I guess we’ll just have to wait for the sequel…

It was reported in the News & Star last weekend that a “mystery man” has bought YHA Derwentwater with the intention of continuing to run it as a hostel.

The hostel is one of eight identified for closure earlier this year. I’m delighted to hear that it will continue to operate as a hostel, albeit outside the YHA network. My understanding is that it will not be run under the YHA Enterprise scheme, but will be fully independent.

Some will ask why the YHA was unwilling to invest in Derwentwater when the mystery man sees it as a viable business. The answer is that we have to concentrate our limited resources where we feel they’ll do the most good, which means relinquishing our weaker hostels to invest in the stronger. If the mystery man feels that he’ll get a good return on his money at Derwentwater, that’s his affair – I really hope he’s right. In the meantime, the substantial sum he’s paid for the place goes into improving other YHA hostels.

STOP PRESS: The Guardian has put a name to the mystery benefactor: he’s John Snyder, a local businessman.

John Martin,YHA’s volunteer archivist, has also been busy north of the border. The fruits of his labour is a new publication: An Illustrated Survey of SYHA’s Youth Hostels, 1931-2011 timed to appear as SYHA celebrate their 80th birthday.

The 670-page book contains a dizzying amount of information, covering the history of each and every hostel SYHA have ever operated – over 250 of them. Together with facts and figures about the hostels, bednight statistics, maps and plans, etc. there are recollections and anecdotes drawn from over 200 correspondents. It’s the perfect gift for the SYHA anorak in your life!

The book will only be available for a short time, as a high-quality sewn hardback book weighing in at 2.5Kg, the cost being £50 payable to SYHA.

For those looking for a more economical alternative, the book is also available on DVD (as a series of PDF files, not a DVD video) for a more manageable £5.

Further information, including how to order your copy, can be found on the SYHA website.

Frank Martin, a great worker for YHA, passed away on 3rd August at his home in Bristol. He played a prominent role in YHA over many years and was regarded as an inspiring man, and a modest friend.

He played a prominent role in YHA, serving on the National Executive Committee, twice Chair of the Countryside Committee and as Vice-Chair of YHA from 1982 to 1984. He also served as Chair of the YHA Services Management Committee and, making use of his experience in the shipping industry, showed himself to be well up to the task of overseeing this commercial operation, whose profits returned to YHA each year.

He was forced by ill-health to step down as Chairman of the Gatliff Trust in 2007. Frank had been Chairman for 30 years, a longer period than that of Herbert Gatliff himself, the founder of the Trust. From his home in Clifton, Bristol, Frank presided over a period of stability and development. His contributions have been enormous and sustained. He was succeeded as Chairman by Peter Clarke.

The Gatliff Trust continues to work for the principles of its founder, Herbert Gatliff. It has, among many charitable projects, supported the small hostels in the UK, encouraged young people to experience and appreciate the countryside and, of course, created the Gatliff Hebridean Hostels Trust which maintains and promotes the crofters’ hostels.

YHA Ilam opened its doors wider than usual on the Bank holiday Monday, 29th August, to encourage passing visitors to ‘come in and have a look’ at this fabulous Gothic mansion to celebrate the 190th year since it was first built.

The event was organised between Central England Regional Council and the team at Ilam led by Samantha Clamp, the manager.  Despite a very busy weekend hosting a wedding and a reunion of 80 family and friends, the hostel was clean, bright and welcoming when guests started arriving.

Lindsey Porter with volunteers Ray and Arlene Thompson, Philip Bacon and Mick Cuthbert were kept busy all day showing interested folk around though some had probably come in to shelter from the inclement weather!

The event will be repeated next year when the hostel celebrates 80 years since the building first opened as a hostel in 1932.

In July YHA Holland Park hosted the annual “Friends of Holland Park Pimm’s Party” for the third year in a row.

Friends of Holland Park are a membership organisation with over 900 members.   They are a keen and enthusiast group whose main role is “to protect and preserve the Park as an oasis of tranquillity, natural beauty and recreation, guarding its unique character, monitoring planning applications and proposed changes in and around the Park”

The Pimm’s was flowing and the canapés were being handed around and the evening was enjoyed by about 70 people, says Sally Martyn-Johns from YHA Holland Park.  Attendees included local residents, Kensington and Chelsea Councillors and some ex-mayors.

Eight young people aged 12-16 from in and around London, part of the Postellers group, walked the 84 miles of Hadrian’s Wall last week. They stayed in Youth Hostels all the way, at Carlisle, Birdoswald, Once Brewed, Edmundbyers and Newcastle.

Two of the group were supported by Breaks for Kids and five leaders, all YHA registered volunteers, accompanied them on the walk from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend in Newcastle.

Diane Nightingale, one of the leaders said: “The weather for most of the way was awful – wind and rain with the sun appearing for just two days and even then there were showers! None of the young people had ever walked so far, but there were no grumbles about the distance, the weather, wet feet etc – they just got on with it.”

Amongst the leaders were two who had been Postellers themselves many years before.

People collected sponsors to buy a new Posteller digital camera and any extra money will go towards the making of a film about the group, already under way. Well done to everyone involved!

The Postellers group is a youth programme of YHA that enables young people, particularly from urban areas in and around London, to gain knowledge of the countryside through Youth Hostelling and to have fun.

YHA’s official name has changed to YHA (England and Wales) and there is no longer any need to use Limited as part of our name.  The change was agreed at our Annual General Meeting in July.

Charitable companies are exempt from the requirement to have “Limited” after their name and most charities that are also companies have taken this step.

This is the fourth and most minor change of name for YHA which was originally established as the Youth Hostels Association of Great Britain in 1930.  It rapidly became the Youth Hostels Association (England and Wales) in 1931 when the Scottish and Irish Associations established themselves and becoming YHA (England and Wales) Limited in 1987.

25 people had the best time ever on YHA’s first Lake District Family Activity Break earlier this month at YHA Hawkshead.

Seven families spent a day in the hills, went kayacking and gorge scrambling, took part in archery, built rafts and had a fantastic time. Most of the families hadn’t stayed with YHA before and the break really inspired them to do so again.

“We had a fantastic time all week, despite the weather doing its usual Lake District rain,” one of the families said. “The instructors (Lee, Chris, Dave and Ed) were all very friendly and knowledgeable and really made the activities great fun.”

The breaks were run in partnership with Carnegie Leeds Metropolitan whose staff led some of the activities whilst YHA staff led the on-site activities.

“Best fun was anything that involved getting wet, so the ghyll scrambing and raft-building got my vote,” one parent added. “It’s amazing how my team got so competitive as the week progressed – an indication of how much we ‘gelled’.”

The hill day also proved popular and made parents realise that their children were capable of walking a lot further than they had ever thought possible.