Watchdog to Review SYHA
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), Scotland’s charity watchdog, has begun a review of SYHA’s charitable status, according to The Herald. This will form part of an ongoing review of all Scotland’s charities following some recent scandals in the sector. Why pick on the SYHA?
The newly created OSCR decided to prioritise its task of vetting all 23,500 charities by concentrating first on those where there was “risk” or uncertainty as to their status.
Independent schools, care homes and universities [and hostel associations too, presumably] could fall foul of the legislation – and therefore lose valuable tax breaks – if their fees are deemed to be “unduly restrictive”.
As it only costs up to £8 per year to join the SYHA, and non-members can stay at their hostels for a mere £1 per night extra, they shouldn’t have too much to worry about on that score. Still, a renewed focus on their charitable status shouldn’t do them any harm.
South of the border, it should be noted, the recent AGM called on “all parts of the YHA community to renew their commitment to YHA’s charitable object”. Perhaps they ought to make that call more vocal?
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How can charging children aged 5 years old the same price as adults to experience the wilds of Loch Ossian and the great outdoors be compatible with SYHA’s aims and objectives and charitable status?
I thought the main aim was to introduce young people into the outdoors and introduce them to new experiences etc… for me to take my two children to a small rural hostel to introduce them to hostelling for one night would cost £27.00 per night for the kids and another £13.50 for myself that’s over £40!
I note that SYHA have kept their word… increased bednight charges at Glen Affric for juniors too, no discount for under 18s! What a short sighted policy. How this fits with their mission statement to encourage young folk to discover the outdoors I don’t know.
A proposed trip with my two young sons to explore the wilds of Glen Affric this summer will cost us £45.00 per night, thats £90.00 for the weekend, so much for the SYHA- real people, real priorities, real budgets – oh yeah. I bet the orginal hostel movement leaders would never believe such misguided policies and how badly SYHA has lost the plot
Life member, I covered SYHA’s adults-only pricing at some hostels in more depth in another story. You might want to take a look at SYHA’s explanation of it – and comment further on it there if you wish.