I have not been to the Matlock offices, but they don't look particularly "swanky" on Google Street View. What would you like them to work out of, a semi-derelict run down building?
Has the YHA gone bonkers?
- Thread starter Cush
- Start date
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I have not been to the Matlock offices, but they don't look particularly "swanky" on Google Street View. What would you like them to work out of, a semi-derelict run down building?
For anyone who's interested here's the text ot the YHA's press release on its 'Capital Strategy'. Yes it is closing hostels that people would like to see stay opem, but it's also investing in a lot of other hostels and opening new ones. You may well disagree with some or all of the decisions but taliking about 'cash raids' is simply misreprepresenting the position:
There's also an onteresting article here:
http://www.ukhillwalking.com/news/item.php?id=60413
"08/02/2011
At their January meeting, the Board of Trustees agreed the following decisions on YHA’s Capital Strategy.
In the coming year YHA plans to invest more than £4 million in some of our best-loved Youth Hostels in England and Wales.
Investment will improve some of YHA’s most inspiring hostels including Black Sail in the Lake District and Woody’s Top in Lincolnshire. A major scheme to redevelop YHA Oxford Street in London and the opening of a new Youth Hostel at Berwick upon Tweed are also part of these exciting plans.
YHA is committed to have a network of Youth Hostels that meet the needs of our customers both now and in the future, one which will be financially sustainable, in which we can invest securely, and which is able to grow and support our charitable object. These plans are a major step towards achieving that goal, which will see a capital investment of more than £30 million in the next five years.
Other sites that will be invested in this year are Wilderhope in Shropshire, Rowen in Conwy, Grinton Lodge in North Yorkshire, Salcombe in Devon, Poppit Sands in Pembrokeshire, Tintagel in Cornwall, and Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. This shows our commitment to the breath of our network spread across England and Wales
At the same time we have taken the difficult decision to announce the closure of eight Youth Hostels at the end of the 2011 season.
YHA Derwentwater, YHA Helvellyn, YHA Hawkshead, YHA Osmotherley, YHA Salisbury, YHA Arundel, YHA Totland and YHA Newcastle will be affected by this decision.
Closing a Youth Hostel is never easy and YHA does understand the impact this decision will have, particularly for members and guests who enjoy close links and have strong loyalties with this particular hostel. We are working closely with all of our staff who are affected by this decision.
By closing and selling hostels, YHA can release the capital value of these sites to pay for the future investments need elsewhere and to reduce the amount of money we need to borrow to meet our total investment needs."
There's also an onteresting article here:
http://www.ukhillwalking.com/news/item.php?id=60413
"08/02/2011
At their January meeting, the Board of Trustees agreed the following decisions on YHA’s Capital Strategy.
In the coming year YHA plans to invest more than £4 million in some of our best-loved Youth Hostels in England and Wales.
Investment will improve some of YHA’s most inspiring hostels including Black Sail in the Lake District and Woody’s Top in Lincolnshire. A major scheme to redevelop YHA Oxford Street in London and the opening of a new Youth Hostel at Berwick upon Tweed are also part of these exciting plans.
YHA is committed to have a network of Youth Hostels that meet the needs of our customers both now and in the future, one which will be financially sustainable, in which we can invest securely, and which is able to grow and support our charitable object. These plans are a major step towards achieving that goal, which will see a capital investment of more than £30 million in the next five years.
Other sites that will be invested in this year are Wilderhope in Shropshire, Rowen in Conwy, Grinton Lodge in North Yorkshire, Salcombe in Devon, Poppit Sands in Pembrokeshire, Tintagel in Cornwall, and Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. This shows our commitment to the breath of our network spread across England and Wales
At the same time we have taken the difficult decision to announce the closure of eight Youth Hostels at the end of the 2011 season.
YHA Derwentwater, YHA Helvellyn, YHA Hawkshead, YHA Osmotherley, YHA Salisbury, YHA Arundel, YHA Totland and YHA Newcastle will be affected by this decision.
Closing a Youth Hostel is never easy and YHA does understand the impact this decision will have, particularly for members and guests who enjoy close links and have strong loyalties with this particular hostel. We are working closely with all of our staff who are affected by this decision.
By closing and selling hostels, YHA can release the capital value of these sites to pay for the future investments need elsewhere and to reduce the amount of money we need to borrow to meet our total investment needs."
'inventive' ways to meet the obligations set out in the DDA could be something like having the warden help people in and around the building. The ramps we see rammed in and around buildings that can't take them represent a failure of imagination and a lack of trust in humanity. Every time I hear somebody say 'DDA compliance' I reach for my (oh, sorry, that's a P+L thread....)
I read that Andy, like I said it sounds reasonable. I guess it depends on whether you think their objectives are correct.
Here's the founding objective
“To help all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside, particularly by providing hostels or other simple accommodation for them in their travels, and thus to promote their health, rest and education.”
and here's today's objective
“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.”
I can't help thinking that the towns and cities bit is less about culture and more about bums in beds. If I want to visit a city I wouldn't think about using a hostel, besides which, these are about the most expensive hostels you can stay in. The old discount structure that the YHA used to have has also been largely scrapped.
There is practically no difference between the two statements of objectives apart from the addition of the words "and appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities".
The YHA has had hostels in towns and cities for a long time, so it sounds to me that this is just a a case of making sure that the objectives fit with the reality of the network on the ground.
In any case I can't see a good reason why there should not be hostels in town and cities, particular as many of these probably generate profits which are used to subsidise more remote rural hostels.
The YHA has had hostels in towns and cities for a long time, so it sounds to me that this is just a a case of making sure that the objectives fit with the reality of the network on the ground.
In any case I can't see a good reason why there should not be hostels in town and cities, particular as many of these probably generate profits which are used to subsidise more remote rural hostels.
I agree that DDA compliance can involve much unimaginative box ticking (or ramp building) but I think the YHA is trying to go beyond that and ensure that its hostels can easily be used by disabled people. And this is likely to cost money whether it is achieved by physical adaptations or having enough staff to help people round buildings.
And one of the reasons I think the YHA was right to allow people to arrive by cars is that it meant that its hostels were opened up to use by the disabled.
hubbike
Senior Member
- Location
- Edinburgh, Scotland
or perhaps something definitely right. I think that is a very sensible policy, for the reasons I outlined above, i.e. that by taking ownership and responsibility you have more to gain/lose and put more effort/creativity/love into running the place. The YHA logo on the door stands for something, but there is plenty of room for manoeuvre inside that.
Support more remote ones, like Derwentwater, SKiddaw?
Anyway you're missing my point. No they haven't changed much but the bit about limited means seems to be further away from where they are heading. Perhaps if they put, especially young people of middle class backgrounds, it would be nearer the mark. Like I said the discount system has been overhauled to be virtually non-existent.
I don't object to their modernisation, change of rules and culture, it was overdue but the price of staying could not be considered within a budget of limited means and the loss of hostels is disappointing. I noticed it a few years ago when I wanted to plan a cycle tour with the kids. On the one hand, yippee, family rooms, gulp, pricey and then, oh no, we can't do that, the hostel isn't there anymore, or that, or that.
Anyway this talk of hostelling has made me want to do some again. That must be good.
funnymummy
A Dizzy M.A.B.I.L
- Location
- Lancing West Sussex
I think that every situation should be weighed up on it's pro's & cons, if plenty of bunks are available then it seems silly to say you have to pay for a whole room.
We stayed in a local YH a short while back, it was busy, a family, a mixed sex groups of MTB'rs & a womans hiking club.
The only 'designated' family room had ben prebooked, so was told would have to use a dorm & pay the Family Room rate...as they couldn't allow my bubs to share a dorm, this was the only way to do it.
So I paid, the next morning chatting with other groups, discovered that the male MTB'rs had 3 spare bunks in their dorm, the girls had 4 spare bunks & the hikers, who had taken 2 dorms had 4 spare bunks in one of theirs...
I was a tad annoyed, if anyone had turned up without prior booking there would have been more then enough bunks to accommadate them, without the worry that my children would have to share with strangers - It just sort of felt that i'd been coerced into spending £54 instaed of £24... whcih would have effectively apid for an extra night
Hmm. As a cycle tourist and YHA member I appreciate the fact that the YHA has hostels in urban and rural areas. Apart from anything else, they are significantly cheaper than hotels (well yes I might just get a room in a Travelodge miles away).
And personally I think there is a real developmental benefit for young people in backpacking/interailing to major cities. Even if they never go near an art gallery they develop independence and self-reliance and have a bit of an adventure.
The larger city hostels do generate income to support smaller remote hostels. OK Derwentwater and others are earmarked for sale - but look again at the list of hostels in which they are investing. Black Sail Pass for example is I believe (i don't know the Lakes) fairly remote.
As far as people/families with limited means and prices in general are concerned. I take it you probably aren't aware of the YHA's Breaks4kids programme ( www.Breaks4kids.co.uk) which pays 50 per cent of the cost of a hostel holiday - I must admit I wasn't aware of it until this thread prompted me to have a bit of a dig around YHA website. Their fundraising tarhet is £1 million - so if anyone has some cash to spare ...
And prices in general? I looked at the YHA website:
http://www.yha.org.uk/special-offers/south-summer-savings.aspx
Now before anyone shouts at me, I know these are deals available for breaks before July 22 - so before the school holidays - but there are some attractive locations. I tried a test booking at the Tintagel hostel at the end of the month £14.95 for and adult and £10.95 for an under-18. Now i know it's expensive having a family, but these seem to me to be prices that are pretty affordable.
Black Sail is a good example. It is a wonderful 16 bed hostel, in a beautiful location which can only be reached on foot. I would be surprised if it even breaks even but the YHA are still investing in it.
Having said that I still think it is short sighted to close hostels like Derwentwater even if it does generate a lot of capital. I suspect many first timers are drawn to the YHA as a result of staying in some of the more presitgeous hostels like Derwentwater and then graduate on to the more remote ones.
Part of the problem is that wardens no longer have as much local autonomy as they once did and can exercise very much discretion. The sensible thing to have done in your case would have been to charge you £24 initially, on the understand that you would pay the full £54 if they got a late rush on and had to turn people away. Maybe you can suggest that next time.
funnymummy
A Dizzy M.A.B.I.L
- Location
- Lancing West Sussex
I've bought a larger family tent, so prob won't use the YH again when with my bubs, unless of course there is a desperate need, days of rain - need to dry out LOL!
I'll happily use them them when solo, less than £15 for the night is fine, but Family Rates are way out of my budget, it would work more expensive to stay in a place that I have to vacate during daylight hours then it would to go abroad
I don't think there are any YHAs that charge any where as little as that.
Erm see my post above - about three posts earlier. Tintagel 30 june: £14.95 according to the online booking system. A number of others in the same promotion - go to the YHA website and have a look.
