YHAgroup.org.uk

A year ago today, the YHA announced the closure of 32 hostels in a radical shake-up of its network. The news was greeted with dismay, both from hostellers and from small communities for whom their youth hostel was a an important source of income. Campaigns were started to “save our hostel”. Angry letters were written both inside and outside the Association. Questions were asked at council meetings. Now, twelve months on, we can see what’s been happening in each case.

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News emerged today of two properties that might one day find their way into the YHA network.

In Ulverston, according to the North West Evening Mail, the Ford Park Community Group is hoping to create a 40-bed youth hostel in a historic house in the town. Perhaps most famous as the birthplace of Stan Laurel, Ulverston is the start point of the Cumbria Way though it’s a few miles outside the Lake District National Park. There’s a railway station in the town too, so it could be a good launch point for car-free explorations of the district.

Meanwhile, a couple of hundred miles further south, the Malvern Gazette reports that the YHA is having talks about taking over the Malvern Hills Outdoor Centre from Worcestershire County Council. Since selling Malvern Hostel to a mystery buyer last year, the Association has been looking for a replacement in the area. This outdoor centre may be it, but as it apparently needs £1.7m spending on it (as opposed to the £450,000 which they couldn’t afford to spend on the old hostel) maybe they’ll keep on looking. One to watch anyway.

An open letter from John Annett:

Hello one and all,

You may recall at Coalport that some LGs got together to form a ‘holding committee’ until the more formal National Local Groups Conference.

Those ‘elected’ were Paul Madge (Stafford Group), Chris Hunt (Leicester Group), Alan Summers (Leicester Group) and myself John Annett (Croydon Group).

I am hopeful that a formal election will now appear on the agenda. I have discussed the terms of reference of such a committee with Crewenna Dymond which I feel we need to establish before we can ask for candidates. Crewenna has suggested that I contact all LGs to get their view of what they are seeking from such a committee. She has asked me in particular not to prompt you with any examples or my own thoughts. That is what this note is more brief that I might normally send.

Please send your comments direct to me asap but by 7th February and I hope by the conference I can agree a way forward with YHA that benefits us all.

See you all at Matlock.

Regards

John Annett

Please use the comments section below to enter your views. If you’d prefer to make a private point direct to John, you can contact him at john@nnett.freeserve.co.uk.

A month ago the YHA published an update on the Governance Review project started last September. It told us that review leader Dr Andrew Purkis “has also started a ‘blog’ on the YHA website to invite wider conversation of the issues online”. Well, he hadn’t started it then, because the website was about to be replaced with a new design, and it’s only today that the dust has settled sufficiently on the changeover for Dr Purkis’ long-awaited blog to go live.

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The Local Groups’ Conference date has been confirmed as 17th March 2007, and Matlock selected as a venue. Meeting rooms at YHA head office will be used, and delegates (up to 2 per group) will stay at the nearby hostel. YHA have offered to pay delegates’ travel expenses (up to £35), and provide a night’s accommodation and meals.

The programme of events is currently being decided upon, so if you have things that you particularly want to see covered please comment below and/or contact Crewenna Dymond at YHA.

According to The Independent today:

Travelodge has rooms sleeping two adults and two children on offer for as little as £26 - or £6.50 per person. In retaliation, the YHA is aggressively promoting its deals.

Aggressively promoting its deals? Heaven knows what it looks like when they’re doing nothing. Still, there’s lots of interesting stuff about the hostel sector, and some good press for the YHA, in the full article. Thanks to Jacki for spotting it.

According to a press release issued this week:

An historic farm in East Sussex is to get a new lease of life as a £2million Youth Hostel and outdoor activity centre after being awarded a major grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The scheme will result in YHA Itford Farm - situated on the South Downs Way at Beddingham - between the seaside resorts of Brighton and Eastbourne.

Most of the hostels opened in recent years seem to have been purpose-built affairs. All very practical no doubt, but sometimes a bit lacking in character. Itford will be a welcome return to the “historic building” school of youth hostel design:

The Grade II* listed farmhouse is rich in history, having stood since before the 13th Century.

It is built mainly of flint with a tiled roof and inside, an unusual trefoiled headed piscine survives from the 13th century chapel previously on the site.

They hope to have the new hostel open by Summer 2008.

Last week the YHA launched the latest version of its website. It’s already generated some discussion on the UK Hostelling news group , but here’s my take on “what’s hot and what’s not” in the new offering.

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The YHA have released a new design for their website today, though they seem to be having technical issues with it in terms of server load. That’s not the only problem with the new site - but you’ll have to wait for my in-depth review to see the gory details.

In the mean time, visit yha.org.uk to see what you think…