President’s Awards 2008
The President’s Awards were introduced in 1985 to recognise the work that local groups do for the YHA and 2008 marked the twenty-fourth year of the awards.
Eight groups entered for 2008, sadly down from twelve the previous year, but the standard of entries remained high and not only for the two groups that have dominated the awards this time.
Four judges marked the awards this time, rather than the usual three, and as usual each of the categories will be presented before moving on to the overall results.
First of the eight categories is for the Best Conservation Project and this was won by COPSE, the Croydon YHA Group. Several members of the group spent a couple of days working with the Downlands Countryside Management Project thinning out a band of scrubby woodland adjacent to the ancient woodland at Banstead Woods near Coulsdon just south of Croydon.
Good entries for the Best Publicity Strategy were submitted by Barnet, Guildford and Stafford Groups but the winner is COPSE, the Croydon YHA Group who organised outdoor events that would attract the general public, produced and widely distributed a new full colour leaflet, introduced a new promotional booklet, revamped their display stands and made the most of their email list and website.
Six groups entered the Best Programme category with Guildford in third place, Croydon a close second and Barnet YHA Group winning. Barnet offer two hostelling weekends a month, day walks, evening walks and a wide variety of evening social events.
COPSE, the Croydon YHA Group won the Best Fundraising Initiative category with a mock auction of unwanted Christmas presents, the Weald Walkers Wander and the Gatliff Marathon, the proceeds of these events going towards Puttenham Youth Hostel, last year’s conference and a fund for future projects.
Croydon came second in the Best Work Undertaken At A Hostel category which was won by Barnet YHA Group. A dozen members of Barnet group spent a January weekend redecorating eleven dormitories at Cambridge Youth Hostel.
Stagger from St Albans Group and Footprint from Barnet Group were excellent entries for the Best Newsletter Or Magazine category but the clear winner yet again is Viewpoint from COPSE, the Croydon YHA Group. Dating back to the 1930s, Viewpoint now has up to 28 pages with a variety of well written articles and many photographs.
Barnet YHA Group and COPSE, the Croydon YHA Group are joint winners of the Best New Members Package category. Both groups work hard to ensure that the potential new members they’ve attracted are integrated into the group.
Six groups entered the Best Website category, with Dunstable coming third, Croydon second and Barnet YHA Group winning. www.barnetyha.org first features a welcoming countryside photo, then prominently shows forthcoming events and a welcome to the group and has easy access to other well prepared areas such as a photo album, membership details and the public version of the groups newsletters.
With thanks to Alan, Ivan, Kathy and Maggy for judging the 2008 President’s Awards, we now move on to the overall results.
- Dunstable and St Albans Groups came joint fifth.
- In Fourth place are Stafford YHA Group.
- Guildford Outdoor Group gained Third place.
- Barnet YHA Group are the runners-up for 2008.
- Winner of the President’s Trophy are the 2003, 2004 and 2007 winners,COPSE, the Croydon YHA Group
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