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Castleton Youth Hostel has received a grant of £950,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, reports the Buxton Advertiser. The money will be used to repair and refurbish the Grade II listed building and produce a fully accessible centre of educational excellence.

YHA property director Jake Chalmers said:

Thanks to the award of this substantial grant we will now hopefully be able to ensure the future of this hostel, providing top-notch facilities and rewarding experiences for all young people, including those of limited means and with disabilities

I’ve just upgraded the the software which runs this site to the latest version of Wordpress - version 2.6.3. As the functions of the site have been fairly heavily augmented from the standard set-up, there’s a chance that some features will be broken by this process.

Can you please let me know if anything on the site isn’t working properly. If I don’t know about it, i can’t fix it!

A long distance walk through the Surrey countryside organised by COPSE. There will be 50km, 35km and 20km options (31 miles, 22 miles and 12.5 miles) and a route description will be given to each entrant. The objective is to complete the distance within 10 hours.

Registration is at Sports Association Pavillion, Edenbridge, Kent (GR 441 459, see map below). This will be open from 6:30am. Entrants before the day will be sent their number in advance and to avoid delay, this should be brought to the start.

More information on this event can be found on the COPSE website.

One recommendation of the Purkis Governance Review was that regional councils be replaced with a programme of local rallies, forums and volunteering events open to all members. In order to see how such a set-up would work in practice, YHA Wales is organising a series of events under the heading Get Involved.

Ranging between Autumn 2008 and Summer 2009, and in locations all around Wales, these events are open both to members living in Wales and those with an interest in Welsh hostelling. Would-be attendees are asked to notify Matlock in advance (there’s a registration form available for the purpose) so they know how many people to expect.

Details of the events can be found on a (typically well-hidden) page of the YHA Site, as well as the events listings of this site. The events scheduled so far are:

If your group is based in or around Wales (or just likes going there), why not make one of these the basis of a group event?

Over the weekend of the Autumn Forum at Broad Haven a team of volunteers will be redecorating YHA  Marloes Sands, starting with the main farmhouse.  Volunteers to help with the work are still needed, and transport will be provided to take them over to Broad Haven for the Forum itself on Saturday night.

The event is open to anyone, but you do need to be relatively fit and healthy.  Families with children over 14 years are also invited.  If time permits, there should be some free time to explore the local area, including the fantastic beach.

Accommodation is provided free for volunteers at Marloes, but private and family rooms cannot be guaranteed.   There is room for a maximum of 20 volunteers.   A group meal will be prepared on Saturday evening, a nominal fee of £5 will be charged for all those joining in, to be payable on arrival.  For all other meals volunteers will need to self-cater.

Please bring old clothes and sensible shoes, like old walking boots, that you don’t mind getting a bit paint-splattered!  If you have gloves, please bring these too, however some will be provided.

For more information please contact the Volunteering team on 01629 592562, email getinvolvedwales@yha.org.uk or download the registration form and post it to Matlock.

Come to the Welsh Assembly Building in Cardiff to celebrate the achievements of the past year for all YHA’s volunteers and supporters.  You will also be given an update on developments in Wales and what happens next for Get Involved in Wales!

This event is open to all, there is no charge and a buffet lunch will be provided.

For more information about this volunteering weekend please contact the Volunteering team on 01629 592562 or email getinvolvedwales@yha.org.uk or download the registration form and post it to Matlock.

There are some great grounds at YHA Brecon, a courtyard garden, vegetable patch, campfire area and plenty of places for wildlife.  Join up this weekend and help clear up and plan for the year ahead. They’ll be clearing beds and overgrown paths.

The weekend is open to all, but you will need to be relatively fit and healthy.  Families with children over 14 years are also welcome.  Groups of volunteers are also welcome, from colleges, youth groups or universities.

Accommodation for volunteers will be provided free of charge at YHA Brecon.  Please bring food to self-cater for breakfasts or lunches or you can book meals through the Hostel.  A group meal may be arranged for Saturday evening – TBC

Please bring old clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty or worn.  Please also bring waterproof kit and walking boots or wellies in case the weather is wet.  All the tasks will be outside, so be prepared to face the weather – rain or shine!If you have any gardening tools, like shears, secateurs, forks, spades or gloves, please bring them along too.  Spare tools and gloves will be available.

For more information please contact the Volunteering team on 01629 592562 or email getinvolvedwales@yha.org.uk or download the registration form and post it to Matlock.

Coed Y Brenin is one of the UK’s premier mountain bike parks.  Set amid the lush forests near to Dolgellau in deepest Wales, the park offers a variety of riding from beginners to experts. Bring the family, your mates or come by yourself for a fun weekend of real mountain biking.

Open to everybody. Families, individuals or groups - there is something for everyone at Coed y Brenin from advanced tracks to gentle beginners loops.  More information about this package will be available by January 2009.

Bikes can be hired from Coed y Brenin bike shop at the visitor centre. The trails are free to ride. Please bring appropriate clothing for biking, including a helmet and small rucsac to carry lunch/drink/tools.

For more information contact YHA Kings directly on 0845 371 9327 or email kings@yha.org.uk.

Open again after a major refurbishment programme, come and see how the hostel’s improved and chat about ways to support YHA.

Following a major refit of YHA Conwy over the winter, your help is needed to prepare for the re-opening.  This weekend will involve putting furniture together and plenty of lifting and carrying, therefore to volunteer you need to be fairly fit and healthy.

Accommodation will be provided free of charge to volunteers on Friday and Saturday nights and YHA Conwy will provide your evening meals.  Please bring breakfasts and lunches with you.

Work will take place on Saturday, starting 10am approximately.  Sunday may involve further work, or be a free day, depending on progress made! Please bring old clothes and strong shoes or boots.

For more information about this volunteering weekend please contact the Volunteering team on 01629 592562 or email getinvolvedwales@yha.org.uk. Alternatively you can download a registration form from the YHA web site.