Conference Motions 2009
Just a couple of weeks to go till the Groups’ Conference, and Bedford Group have proposed two motions for discussion:
Motion 1
Due to hostel closures there are now many areas of the country with gaps in the hostel network.
For example near Bedford and Northampton Badby and Ivinghoe have closed and this compromises our ability to explore our local countryside whilst using the YHA network. This also applies in other parts of the country.
We ask what is being done to address this issue.
Motion 2
Many newly opened hostels have extremely small self catering kitchens with inadequate fridge space. e.g. National Forest is advertised as Very small self catering kitchen -maximum of 8 guests at a time.
Many new hostels abroad have self catering kitchens which are enormous with plenty of fridges and are a positive pleasure to use and they still manage to sell food in cafés/restaurants which are also open to the public.
We call for a review of the policy of providing minimal self catering kitchens.
Related Pages
Powered by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Being pedantic, number 1 isn’t a motion but just a question.
Hum, interesting indeed. I suspect nothing will be done with respect to Motion 1. If you can find half a million for YHA to open new sites in those areas, feel free to send a cheque to Matlock. You need to be realistic in the current economic climate. Have you not seen the YHA balance sheet recently? Gaps exsist for a reason – nobody visits those areas to make a YHA viable. How about YHA closes three viable YHAs just to open a non-viable single YHA in the area(s) you mention in the Motion? Is that what you want?
With respect to Motion Two, there is no policy of providing minimal self catering facilities. So there is nothing to ‘review’. Again, if you can provide a viable buisness plan that can keep an overnight price low yet double the square footage of the S/C facilities (in your example of National Forest) then do send in your ideas – as nobody else seems to have be able to magic extra space from clean air. A larger S/C kitchen will take out an extra bedroom, making a YHA less profitable/not profitable. Go and get a buisness degree please. If S/C facilities are important to you, then make sure you book a YHA that ‘fits your needs’. Don’t expect everyone to fit to what you want. Be flexible or be prepared to pay more if you demand more from YHA.
Well said motion 1.
UndercoverX misses the point and reads too much into the question. Providing a viable network to all parts of important countryside is exactly what YHA is supposed to be about, and yet the stated strategy specifically avoids any mention of a commitment to maintaining such a network.
Of course, nobody can seriously expect YHA to fund large numbers of loss making hostels, but that’s not the same thing as asking what plans there are to sustain a viable network. Of course it’s difficult – bloody difficult I expect- but that doesn’t mean that NOTHING should be done, and it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t ask.
By the way UndercoverX I have a business degree – two degrees actually – not that it should make my opinion any more valid. And one thing I’ve learned in business and voluntary work over years, is that there is huge power in declaring your commitment to a goal, no matter how difficult it may seem. That’s why I believe so passionately that YHA needs to state exactly what its commitment is in this area.
For a longer discussion on this subject see my somewhat occasional blog
http://viewsfromthebikeshed.blogspot.com/search/label/Bike%20shed%20philosophy
The current objective of YHA “To help all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside, and appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities, particularly by providing youth hostels or other accommodation for them in their travels, and thus to promote their health recreation and education.”
doesn’t mention a network but the latest strategic plan that I’ve seen does say that one of the themes to support the objective is “Developing a financially sustainable network of quality centres in destinations that young people will want to visit.”
I suppose it therefore depends on what is defined as viable and important countryside. The answer might be that Bedfordshire & Northamptonshire don’t meet the crtieria of important countryside and that therefore don’t justify the investment of funds into those areas.
Perhaps Beds & Northants need to promote themselves as places young people will want to visit.
I’m not sure of the prospects for hostels in Beds and Northants, but I’m confident of the demand for good self catering facilities. It’s actually one of YHA’s biggest selling points over other budget accommodation providers.
I’m also following MrX’s advice on booking places to fit my needs – I won’t go to hostels that don’t have members’ kitchens, such as the new Crowden one. If Matlock see the takings from such hostels decrease, maybe they won’t make such (in my view) bad decisions in future.
The good thing is that places like Crowden and few and far between. The only other hostel I can think of with no s/c kitchen is St Pauls. Somebody did tell me recently that at Crowden they have made limited facilities available and will cook you a meal almost regardless of the time you arrive.
I think the worse situation is places like Grasmere (BH) where the s/c kitchen was in the annexe but the was sometimes let out on Escape2! I only ever got caught this way once but that was enough. Hopefully this is something being addressed as part of the refit at Grasmere. At least at Crowden and St Pauls you know what the situation is in advance.
YHA Crowden has limited S/C facilities, in that it has a small fridge, kettle, microwave and access to water. There are plates and cutlery available for guests. Whilst there are meal times, a meal can be put aside for you if you contact the YHA in advance. You can re-heat as required. Breakfast is included in the price at this location. The building specification was mainly to suit the main buisness of the site, i.e. an outdoor education centre in conjunction with Rotherham Council. It is small site with limited space. It was always anticipated that a full meals service would be given. I recommend you take a microwave meal with you if you stay at this site and don’t wish to take the evening meal service – which I must add is a very good catering service!
As someone who has specialist health and dietary needs, I find the availability of kitchens important. They allow me to store my own specialist food. Food which the YHA might not be able to provide so easily.
If they could I probably wouldn’t be around long enough to use up the amount they would have to buy and the rest might go to waste.