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Results of this year’s Cadbury Cup competition, staged by Bristol YHA Group at St Briavels YH:

1. Newport
2. Gloucester
3. Bedford
4. Worcester

Congratulations to Newport, who will be running next year’s event at Welsh Bicknor YH.

The 2006 AGM of the YHA Central Regional Council will take place at Alveston Village Hall, The Rookery, Alveston, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 7QP near Stratford YH (see map below). All members of YHA are entitled to attend, be sure to bring your membership card along if you want to vote.

The meeting will start at 1:30 pm.

Sadly, there are more of these every year. This forum is a place where you can see pictures, and share stories, of hostels gone by.

If you’re going to the Coalport meeting you’ll have received this in the post. If you’re not, you might like to know what you’re missing… Continue reading…

The 2006 AGM of the YHA Northern Regional Council will take place at Stricklandgate Methodist Church, Stricklandgate, KENDAL, LA9 4RF (see map below). All members of YHA are entitled to attend, be sure to bring your membership card along if you want to vote.

The meeting starts at 1pm.

The debate about the relationship between Groups and YHA rages on with the groups (us) falling into two or three camps as usual!! Many seem to want to continue a relationship with YHA in which they can have, as regular and experienced hostellers, a say in the governance of YHA and would like to keep formal links with the “parent” body as they see it, with or without the name “YHA Local Group” involved. Others, maybe fewer, still see themselves a PART of YHA so agree with the above but even more strongly. some see themselves as independent, with some of the same aims as YHA (used to have?) but no interest in governance - although they do usually have an interest in countryside hostels and often, a specific hostel.

Continue reading…

Harrow and Wembley Group will not be coming to the Coalport meeting. Their reasons are expressed in an email to Crewenna Dymond from their Chairman, John Palmer, from which this is an excerpt:

We will not be attending as it is too far to come to Coalport for an event that has little value as the YHA does not listen nor need to listen to its local groups. As it does not appreciate the great potential for business advantage to be had from local groups assisting in membership recruitment and retention, it will have to develop in a different direction until or unless it eventually realises the advantages of adopting a Ramblers-like local groups model. We do not mind waiting for the YHA to come back to us in several years time when it realises the competitive advantages we can offer and the value of a test bed for new marketing ideas.

Can we afford to wait for the YHA? Can they afford to keep us waiting? Discuss.

A message from Crewenna Dymond:

Dear Local Group

This week we must confirm the attendance at YHA Coalport for the meeting on 4th November 06. This meeting will be invaluable for discussing the changes recently announced and will also enable us to talk through the new licencing arrangements for groups using the YHA name. A representative from Perkins Slade will also be available to answer questions about the new Civil Liability Scheme and this is a one-off opportunity to have your questions answered face-to-face.

If your group is able to send a representative but has not yet completed the Attendence Form please notify us by replying to this email and we will book a place temporarily until we receive the Form by email/post/fax (01628 592658).

Email replies should be sent to crewennadymond[at]yha.org.uk

The following letter was sent to local groups on 9th October in response to the decisions taken at the AGM. Please read it and tell us what you think…

Dear Local Group

The AGM asked the Board of Trustees to reconsider some of the changes it proposed for Hostelling and Local Groups. The Board has now met and agreed the direction it wishes to take and this letter summarises our decision.

Continue reading…

The annual “It’s a Knockout” competition between groups is being organised by Bristol YHA Group this year, and will take place at St Briavels YH.