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Diary of a YHA Trustee

The Spirit of YHA

Diary of a YHA Trustee

Over the coming months, new recruit Karl Shepherdson will be sharing his experiences as a YHA trustee and news from the Board in this online blog. If you want to put any questions or comments to Karl you can do so by emailing adelejones@yha.org.uk

Who has my membership card

I'm constantly surprised at the reach of my little blog. I never thought it would be so successful - in fact I still surprise myself that I'm still 'on-air'! My diary was always supposed to be for the YHA external website only, yet it tends to also be posted internally within YHA, and I've found that the vast majority of YHA staff regularly read my out loud thoughts here. I can moan like most normal human beings but I do try to write about positive things as best as I can. Thanks for your support. I do get the odd email from both inside and outside YHA, and I love reading your views and feedback - so do keep the emails coming.

I'm told a forum will be starting up on the YHA website soon. I think that is great news, and I would encourage you to get involved with (hopefully) our new online community. I'll be a regular reader and knowing me I might even write on it now and again too.

A couple of weeks ago I was in London and as a result I'm now an official member of Southern England Regional Council. I spent the night at YHA Oxford Street for the first time too. It is not as swanky as our new YHA London Central, but I found the central location very useful indeed. The receptionist managed to give my life membership card to another guest on departure, but as luck would have it, it was given to the Chairman of Southern England Regional Council! So I was soon reunited with my gold card.

I spent last Sunday night having a four-hour meeting with the Head of Health and Safety, Ian Maxwell. Ian was good enough to come all the way down to YHA Exeter so we could meet up and I used the opportunity to sample the excellent food at the Youth Hostel too. A few themes developed and I want to work with the H+S team to continue to develop a positive safety culture within YHA. I intend to chip-away and promote H+S matters as much as I can. This starts at the top of the organisation and I have a unique role in ensuring the Board are kept up to date with all things H+S. I'm probably like the rest of the world, in that I always thought H+S was 'boring' and about filling out forms, but the reality is that positive H+S enables an organisation, for instance it can improve sales via routes such as improving reputation and boosting brand image. Schemes such as 'safer food, better business' allow YHA to integrate H+S best practice onto our food and beverage operations. I just use that as one example of many.

I will continue to meet with Ian and I have a duty to report my work to the Board. I'm going to work on developing my skills and competence in H+S and whilst I like to relax as best as possible when I'm staying in a Youth Hostel I might just start looking a bit harder at the building and operation to make sure that risk assessments are being implemented. Equally, I want to showcase all the positive H+S work in the network, so if you are member of staff with a H+S good news story I'd love to hear from you - or if you prefer…. then do get in touch with Ian or your H+S adviser. Perhaps I should start putting a H+S 'Myth of the Month' here. What do you think?

A Board meeting is coming up very soon, and I will of course provide a brief summary here asap. Keep checking this site for updates!

A confident future

The news is out. Caroline White is YHA's new substantive Chief Executive Officer. You can see all the details here. It is great news for YHA to have Caroline fully on board. I consider myself very fortunate to be part of such a super team in YHA and there is nothing more satisfying that being part of the democratic decision making process that exists in YHA. All Trustees have a vote at Board meetings and I don't think I'm too wrong when I say that a decision to select a Chief Executive is one of the most important jobs a Trustee has to do. It was certainly the first time I've ever done anything like this and the pressure of responsibility is collective but can easily feel personal.

We can now move on in confidence and as things start to settle and bed in then YHA will grow, based on our Vision, to reach more young people then ever before. I see our current economic climate as a huge opportunity for YHA. More UK people may travel closer to home and as costs rise and people feel a squeeze then YHA is perfectly placed to offer affordable holidays and accommodation for all. As I forecast the weather on a daily basis I know how difficult it is to see into the future, so I never like making economic predictions, but indicators inside YHA suggest a positive future with thousands of people advance booking for the coming months and into 2009. And with YHA embarking on a multi-million pound winter long refurbishment project at dozens of Youth Hostels there will be fresh modern facilities coming onto the network later in 2009.

North to South

It was my regional AGM last weekend, in York. I almost missed the start of the meeting as I turned up at the wrong 'Clifton Church' but soon found out I was in the wrong place when I walked into a Mother and Child meeting! How embarrassing. Anyway, I got to present our annual review. As I was putting some slides together I noticed just how much we, as a regional council, do over the space of a year. The amount of voluntary activity is amazing. It is often done in a very quiet British kind of way, with no expectation of reward or praise. So I put my hands together and say 'thank you' to all those who man a YHA stand at a country fair, host a Youth Hostel Open Day, or simply promote our work to others.

I stepped down as Regional Vice-Chairman of Northern England Regional Council last weekend. I also stepped down as a Regional Council member. What! Don't look at me that way! There is a very good reason I can assure you! I'm hoping to move to Southern England Regional Council in a few weeks time. As my life and job are in Devon, it was about time I gave up the 800 mile round trips to Northern meetings and start to be a part of meetings a little closer to my south-western home. I'm still a Trustee for now and Northern England Region will always be part of me. I want to thank everybody from 'North' for always making me feel so very welcome. I want to say a great big 'hello' to my new friends in the South. I am really looking forward to setting roots 'down south'.

A healthy and safe future

I need to be a bit serious for a moment as I need to say sorry to a few people. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a recent trip to YHA Head Office. I suggested I was setting a precedent in visiting YHA Head Office. This was unfair and incorrect. I wish to acknowledge that many volunteers including Trustees frequently engage with staff of all levels both at Head Office and within the YHA network. I am sorry to those I have upset with my recent blog comments.

Moving on…… I was at a Board meeting at YHA National Forest last weekend (4/5th October 2008). One of the conclusions of the weekend is that I am moving from the Governance Implementation Group (GIG) (now renamed Governance Renewal Group, GRG) and into the position of 'Board of Trustees Health and Safety Champion'. I am very happy to take up the role and develop a strong link between the Board and the Head of Health and Safety, Ian Maxwell. I have a set of six key responsibilities as well as a strategic communication role too. I will need to undertake some relevant training and develop my understanding over the coming months. I will still help out with the GRG between now and the EGM in February 2009 although my focus will now move to H+S matters.

Idyllic Idwal

As I write I'm just enjoying a glass of red wine courtesy of YHA! I know what you are thinking….. how? Or why? Well, I've just got back from a couple of nights volunteer wardening at YHA Idwal Cottage in Snowdonia, North Wales. I offered Saskia and Jeroen (the managers) an opportunity to have a family weekend off - which in the world of YHA can be like gold dust. In return I was presented with a personalised bottle of red stuff on my departure - this was a true first for me. Plus I now have bragging rights over a hundred other volunteer wardens which is a great reward in itself! With 10 rooms (a few ensuite) and 36 beds plus camping it was a big cleaning job but it was a great feeling to look after one of our oldest YHA's in the UK. YHA Idwal Cottage was born in Easter 1931 and it continues to be a very popular self-catering Youth Hostel today with modern four star standards.

I discovered that working a YHA till requires a technology degree and some general good luck. So I must apologise if the accounts are out for Idwal Cottage this month - it is all my fault. I spoke to a guest who had brought his two sons for a night and he told me that he only has his children all thanks to meeting his wife at YHA Idwal Cottage around 10 years earlier. He felt he should return to show the Youth Hostel to his sons. It truly reminded me that YHA is all about people.

Head Office happenings and the 2008 AGM

I keep telling everyone I now have two jobs, one that pays my bills and the other with YHA! My feet have not touched the ground. A couple of weekends ago I managed to get to a Central England Regional Council meeting. It was the last region on my list. It was rather lively and some members passions broke loose at times, but it was great to see another region at work. The Council made me feel most welcome.

I then headed to Matlock for a couple of days (staying at the newly refurbished YHA Sherwood Forest) to chat to as many staff as I could. I focused on the Operations department, the Contact Centre and the Membership team. My aim was to educate myself and be a little more visible at Head Office. In fact I've decided to brand myself 'Head Office Champion' as I want to improve communications between Head Office and the Board of Trustees.

I've been asked "what did I learn from my trip?" and whilst it is very difficult to sum up two days in two sentences the following points are worth mentioning here. A few members of staff mentioned they would like to visit Board meetings. I personally have no objection but I suspect we'll need to wait and see if we get a smaller Board size in 2009 which will make this a touch easier. The Board is too big at this moment in time for visitors and ultimately the Chairman needs to agree - so I'll work on him over the coming months! Developing some stability was clearly a hot topic and I am aware that there have been some senior staff changes and movements over recent months. Change happens and we need to be adaptable but I do appreciate the issue.

I was shocked to see that some members and guests send us photos to back up complaints sent to Head Office. Cleanliness issues are increasingly becoming a feature of customer feedback and I intend to keep an eye on this. Finally, I was surprised to hear I was setting a precedent at Head Office. I was told by various staff (throughout the two days) that I was the first Trustee they had met. I think that is unacceptable and I fully intend to get other Trustees to spend some time at Head Office as a result.

I then carried on with my 1000 mile trip around England to YHA Thurlby for a night (where I was spoilt with a double bed!) followed by two nights at YHA Streatley to see how the recent winter refurbishment money had been spent. The lounge now looks like new and the Youth Hostel generally looked clean and fresh. Thanks to Nick and his team for looking after me.

My hectic week ended at the National AGM in Ironbridge. I stayed at YHA Coalbrookdale which proved to be an excellent facility for large groups. After a bit of digging in the back office the staff finally found the hostel stamp! I would have refused to leave without it! The AGM was superbly run (especially for those who liked chicken like me!) and I must extend a thank you to all those who worked hard behind the scenes to make it run smoothly.

The vote in favour for governance change was 82% or so. That far exceeded my expectations and clearly gives us a mandate to proceed to an EGM in February 2009. Two motions from Northern England Regional Council also passed, one related to investigating a concession scheme for young people and the other was to ensure transparency in our pricing, especially on the YHA website.

The work continues…..watch this space……..

From 'no' to 'yes'

As I live in Okehampton I have the joy of having a YHA in the town. It is one of the largest YHA's in the South West of England. Last week I witnessed a group of children on a Do It 4 Real adventure week enjoying a bike ride through the town on a rare summer-like day. They looked liked they were having the time of their lives - really great to see.

A few days ago I took up a lunch invitation with the new South West regional manager and her team at YHA Exeter. Laura and I discussed some of the challenges ahead with a South West focus. I was very impressed at the extremely professional approach her team are taking. As I'm the only Trustee based this far South West I want to get a better feel for the way YHA operates down here. Building a strong working relationship with the new revitalised Operations management structure is important to me.

Finally, my attention is now moving to a busy YHA week for me. From Friday 5th September I'm on one of my biggest YHA journeys to date. I start the weekend at YHA National Forest attending the Central England Regional Council meeting. I am then at YHA Head Office in Matlock for the first two days of the new week, meeting as many staff as I can. I'll be staying at YHA Sherwood Forest then moving onto YHA Thurlby (Lincolnshire). Mid-week takes me to YHA Streatley (near Reading) as I have a meeting in Reading with the Royal Meteorological Society on Thursday. I then move onto YHA Coalbrookedale for the following weekend, in the Ironbridge Gorge for this years National AGM.

The AGM is focusing on two main topics. The first is our new Vision, based on putting young people first. This means we are having a huge programme of talks and workshops based on our Vision. Our second main topic is governance reform. The Board will put a motion for change in Board size as well as a set of important other changes surrounding how we select Trustees in the future. I am sure there will be plenty of discussion about this over the whole weekend. Last year I voted a full 'no' to governance change. How wrong I was. It has taken me a year on the Board to realise this. I intend to vote 'yes' this year. If you want me to tell you all my reasons why, you should try to grab me on my travels over the next week or so.

Parental supervision required

I waited for the summer sunshine before another YHA trip, and I've just got back from a 'hot' YHA Boggle Hole and a 'misty' YHA Whitby. I took my parents for the weekend. My Mum took a bunch of Brownies, literally decades ago, to Boggle and had memories of some terrible weather and a long wait for the reception opening at 5pm! My Dad recalls staying at Abbey House, Whitby as a boy. He remembered the view across the town. Obviously Boggle had hardly changed a bit yet Whitby was now very different - with mod cons that could only have been dreamt of 50 years ago. We tested the new bedding and made use of our free entry to Whitby Abbey too.

We had a lovely couple of nights and my parents have kept saying they'll go back again, so that is a good sign. What they don't know yet is I have plans to take them to YHA Totland Bay on the Isle of Wight next summer. Oh heck, I've spoilt the surprise on this blog now! I might have to take the fuse out of their computer quick.

I'm in the process of arranging a couple of days at YHA HQ in Matlock in September. I had a successful day visit earlier in the year and I had chance to find out what staff at Head Office do. I get to visit loads of Youth Hostels, but Head Office is just one of those places I don't sleep in overnight! So I'm repeating a trip to the hub of all things YHA. Without trying to sound too pompous, as a Trustee I want to be accessible to all YHA staff. It would be really nice if I could develop working relationships with new people in YHA, so this will be my aim. It's timely too as I'm heading to Matlock just before the 2008 Annual General Meeting. Wanna chat?

Special Double Edition! My YHA week

Lots and lots to talk about this week. I've been in total YHA mode recently. I've just got back from a volunteer wardening stint at YHA Mankinholes, Calderdale. I then headed south to YHA Bristol for yet another Board meeting. So lets start with my week at Mankinholes first. I took about £1600 worth of business and welcomed around 90 guests or so in my six nights at the Youth Hostel. It's a Visit Britain 4 star hostel, refurbished in 2000. It has 35 beds over 8 rooms. I can honestly say it is the largest hostel I've run to date. As a result - it's 4 showers, 5 toilets, 2 kitchens and the acres of carpet do take some looking after every morning! I had a good go at hacking back the waist high grass and weeds around the car park too. That alone took me three days!

A highlight was having the YHA property director (Jake Chalmers) come and stay over and assist behind the scenes. The hostel was rather busy that night, so Jake had plenty of check-ins, shop sales and even a book a bed ahead to YHA Hawes. It took a little while to get the fax through, but Jake managed it in the end! The credit card machine (PDQ) and accounting paperwork were all new too! The morning brought the cleaning round. Jake mucked in to all the nasty jobs, and now knows the difference between Suma Multi (floor cleaner) and Titan Sanitiser (anti bacterial cleaner). I believe that Jake went away with a fuller understanding of Youth Hostel operations and I went away with a much better understanding of what Jake does and how he does it. We ended our little session with a pub lunch at the nearby Top Brink Inn, which I must say is an essential part of any stay at YHA Mankinholes. It is 3 minutes across a field from the Youth Hostel.

Whilst at Mankinholes I received a letter from a previous visitor, asking if I could send her a fabric YHA badge sold from the Youth Hostel shop. The letter went on to say that it was for a hole in her husbands walking trousers! I gladly sent two. Only in YHA eh!?

Now on to the Board meeting. Nothing that exciting to report to be honest. We spent a serious amount of time on the Business Plan. This is still in draft mode, and will come back to the Board in October for final approval. The dilemma I find myself in is getting the balance right between size and shape of YHA network versus amount of long term debt versus amount we should invest in out Youth Hostels (known as Fit 4 Purpose and the Change Programme). YHA has under spent on keeping its Youth Hostels ship shape for decades (dare I say for almost 70 years!) and we are now paying the price. Borrowing money is limited by affordability and closing YHAs (to release some capital asset) can be very painful. So my question this week is where should I (as a Trustee) draw my lines? Tough choices. But the Board is now truly focused on Young People as our Vision for the future. I believe this focus is essential and will enable YHA to overcome the challenges ahead. It will allow YHA to be much more innovative. We need to ask ourselves if we can work our assets a little bit harder. That may mean a fresh look at potential occupancies in our network or by using our buildings during the daytime to allow young people to experience YHA, perhaps by using daytime activities? If you have ideas for the direction of YHA I would love to hear from you.

Back to the floor

As I write I am in the process of getting my things together for a week of volunteer wardening. I can't really tell you where or when on an open website, but I can say it's in the 'north' of England and within the next few weeks. I've managed to convince a couple of YHA's directors to come along for the odd night too! I believe its really important to go 'back to the floor' as this can be a great training and development opportunity. I'm sure there will be a few photo opportunities and I'll see if I can get a suitable pic on here in a few weeks time.

I don't like cleaning loos or the early starts/late finishes, but I do enjoy the interaction with the guests and the satisfaction that I am helping to keep a little YHA open if I volunteer to look after it. So book into your favourite northern super little volunteer run Youth Hostel now, and you never know it could be me (or a director) checking you in!

All eyes are looking towards the next Board of Trustees meeting. It's in Bristol in a few weeks time. A small number of Trustees will be visiting YHA Bath to take a look at it's recent refurbishment. On the agenda will be the business plan, governance renewal, planning details surrounding the annual general meeting this coming September, and a look at YHA's Enterprise scheme (this is where independent operators can become licensed under the YHA brand). I will of course provided a brief report here after the meeting.

YHA is changing

I want to start on a positive note. In case you've not noticed yet…... YHA is having a "Summer Sale" with a selected bunch of hostels selling beds in July for as little as £10 a night for adult members. I think that’s amazing value. Increasing occupancy is a really important thing YHA must do this year, and using special offers and late deals is just one way to put bums in beds. Making our locations accessible for all pockets is part of what YHA is about and I hope you agree that at £10 for an overnight is a real bargain. Its cheaper than some camp sites! Book now before all the beds are gone!

Over the winter YHA has invested almost £1.8 million at 11 existing Youth Hostels. I'm hoping to visit YHA Sherwood Forest, YHA Streatley (near Reading) and hopefully YHA Manchester over the coming months. I want to see the improvements for myself. I totally recommend a trip to see the upgrades. Other sites recently improved are Bath, Blaxhall, Broadhaven, Cheddar, Clun Mill, Oxford, Pwll Deri, and Stow on the Wold.

I've already had the chance to stay at the spanking new YHA London Central (another significant YHA investment this year) and love the fresh clean modern look we are gradually going to roll out over the next few years. Tweaks will be made over the coming months and a few examples I've suggested are: an increase in the number of coat hooks in the rooms, as well as the inclusion of chairs in the bedrooms and some more food storage shelves in the self catering kitchen. I am especially trying to make sure that our newer Youth Hostels purchase a hostel stamp as soon as possible too - its one of my first requests when I check in at a YHA reception - its all part of our special experience that’s makes us unique. Congratulations to YHA Crowden for their new hostel stamp!

The day we went to Bangor

Some of you may read this on the YHA external website, but this blog is also posted on the staff intranet website too. I received a lovely comment the other day. My blog was recently described as "the most interesting thing on the web". So I wanted to say thank you to the staff member for that super feedback.

On Saturday 17th May Trustees met up for a regular Board meeting. This time it was at YHA Bangor in North Wales. The staff looked after us extremely well indeed, and I must say that I especially liked the hot chocolate pudding - yum! It took me nearly all day to get to Bangor from Devon, but the drive cuts across Snowdonia, which looked particularly beautiful at this time of year - and a lunch stop in Betws-y-Coed was obligatory.

It was yet another busy agenda with further focus on governance renewal and some discussions on our refreshed branding, a new vision and mission, and a look at how we want to deliver YHA's Charitable Object over the next 5 years. Several hostels were upgraded over the winter, and the Board reviewed the work of these Pathfinder projects. One example of major improvement is the reception and restaurant areas of YHA Manchester. It's now decked out in one of five new YHA styles. In this case it is 'City' styled complete with a bar. The look and feel is clean and fresh, with the new contemporary branding identity throughout.

I spent the Saturday night at YHA Idwal Cottage in Snowdonia before heading back home on the Sunday morning. Idwal Cottage is one of my favourite Youth Hostels in the network. This is a truly great hostel in a great location. The views from this YHA are amazing.

A little bit about me Part 2

Following on from last week - the story does not end there! On the eve of my 21st Birthday I went to stay at the much missed YHA Bradenham near High Wycombe, and this was the first youth hostel I'd come across that was volunteer run. This opened my eyes to the world or volunteer wardening and before I knew it I'd put in an application for training and it was not long before I found myself at YHA Honister Hause for a stint of volunteer assistance, then at YHA Hindhead for my first real week of wardening.

Through this volunteer work I was invited to a volunteer thank you weekend at YHA llam Hall, which further increased my exposure to YHA's vast volunteer network, and I got to meet the then Chief Executive and Chairman for the first time. Being young and somewhat full of my own opinions about the organisation I recall practically 'burning their ears off' about what I'd do if I ran the YHA, and remembering asking them some pretty tough questions about the strategy and charitable aims.

Making such noise that day brought me to the attention of Andy Eccleston, who suggested that I might be interested in YHA's governance, and to get involved I should come to my nearest Regional Council meeting. 'Regional Council Meeting', oh dear that sounded dull and boring and I have to admit that I was not really that interested in sitting in a meeting room or village hall at a weekend, but again, fuelled with the desire to have answers to my questions I went along. Andy and the other members at the meeting were so welcoming and I found that my views and ideas were listened to and valued, and once again, yes you've guessed it - I've never looked back!

After a couple of years involvement with Northern England Regional Council I found myself elected the Vice-Chairman of that Council and eventually in September of 2008 elected as a Trustee of the organisation.

Believe it or not the reason I now live in Okehampton is all down to YHA. I stayed in the youth hostel here on a holiday whilst I was enroute to Cornwall about 5 years ago, and I knew that if I ever had to live down here this was the town for me. I'm convinced my YHA story has not ended yet. If you have a YHA story I'd love to hear from you, you can contact me directly by e-mailing: karlshepherdson@yha.org.uk

A little bit about me - Part 1

A few of you out there in YHA land have asked me to write a bit about myself, so I thought I'd tell you about my YHA journey.

I'm 29 years old (hit the big 30 this coming August) and currently live in Okehampton in Devon. Born in Beverley, East Yorkshire, went to school in Hull and I've lived in Reading, Dundee, Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire and also spent a total of a year working on Ascension Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean too.

After working hard to achieve a degree in Meteorology I now have put that to good use working for the Met Office at its HQ in Exeter. My job roles have included climate research, weather forecasting and I now work in the Met Office College as an instructor and before you ask, no I don't 'do' television as I was told many years ago that I have a face for radio.....what a cheek! But seriously, weather is my passion and it has taken me all over the UK and the World working as a forecaster for the Royal Air Force.

How did I end up in YHA? Well graduated from Reading University with the 'usual student debts' and in my first year of work I found that money was often quite scarce, so when faced with annual leave and a desire to go to Snowdonia and the Lake District my choices were to either camp or to Youth Hostel. Not having gotten around to buying a tent or any basic camping equipment, the choice was made simple.

I had never hostelled before so I was slightly nervous about the idea, so I decided to go for a 'trial night' at YHA Salisbury (close enough to home that I could go back if did not enjoy the experience)!! So there I was, back in 1999, in a 10 bed male dorm, and needless to say, within an hour of arriving I was sat in the lounge with a glass of squash in my hand chatting away to a plethora of fellow guests and I've never looked back since as such is the easygoing and social environment that YHA cultivates, something that I never find in a more 'conventional' hotel stay.

Classing myself as a bit of a 'foodie', one of my favourite memories was whilst staying with YHA Salisbury, eating lunch in a café called 'On Toast' and yes you've guessed it....everything on the menu was on toast - completely delicious!. I continue to be impressed with the improvements in YHA's dining experience, locally sourced produce and some very excellent and innovative menu choices - some of our restaurants even winning awards I hear too. Well done YHA!!

Further instalments about my YHA journey next week.....

Full steam ahead for Governance Renewal

I've just got back from another Board of Trustees meeting , which was held at YHA Head Office in Matlock on Saturday 29th March.

I am really pleased to hear how well YHA has done in the last 12 months, with all targets being exceeded and membership is up almost 5% on last year! As you know from my previous articles, I stay in loads of hostels throughout the year and I have to say that I only ever meet hard-working staff on my travels. The year end results are testament to that fact, and as YHA is financially very stable at the moment this allows me to vote with confidence at the Board meetings when I have to make a decision (often involving large sums of money, sometimes millions of pounds!).

As a Trustee I have a legal responsibility to ensure that staff and customers are in a safe environment and I was very impressed by the information given and progress made by Ian Maxwell (YHA Head of Health & Safety) and his Health and Safety Team, this was after receiving their Annual Report at Saturdays board meeting.

There was a discussion about YHA's food contract too, and I am pleased to see us continue to invest in the YHA food and beverage service and particularly the fact that we are continuing to use locally sourced food whenever possible. Food miles is a 'hot topic' at the moment, and local food is not only good for the environment but it also ensures investment in the local economy. When I go to a hostel I am increasingly seeing the use of free range, fair trade and organic produce.

The board meeting was Roger Clarke's last as CEO, and we marked the occasion with a class of bucks fizz and some cake, and I personally wish Roger all the very best for the future. The meeting was also my first chance to meet our new interim CEO, Caroline White, with whom I am looking forward to developing my working relationship with over the coming months.

I personally want to keep pushing the Governance Change programme, it is such a priority for a large charitable organisation to get right, and whereas I'm satisfied that we have the principals in place for renewal, we now need to work together on the details following recent consultation.

My visit to YHA Head Office, Matlock

After the postponement of a meeting at National Office to discuss the proposed changes to our governance system, I decided to use the allotted time to visit anyway to meet various office staff. I specifically wanted to learn more about our communications, volunteering, sales & pricing strategy as well as to ask some questions about how we tackled recent news stories.

After an informative couple of hours with Duncan Simpson, Head of Communications and Crewenna Dymond, Head of Volunteering I was then whisked away for a 'pub' lunch with our new Interim Finance Director, William Howarth, whom I had not met before. The afternoon gave me chance to catch up with our Head of Sales, and my understanding of demand pricing is much expanded!!

I wish I could spend more time building working relationships with staff at Head Office, but my paid employment does limit my spare weekday time.
Learning what people do in YHA is really important to me, and I will try to make more visits over the months.

Prior to my visit to National Office I spent three nights at our new YHA National Forest. The new signage outside is making the place look exceptionally smart and the environmental aspects of the hostels really do set it apart. I did end up with a cold shower on the Sunday morning as the boiler tripped out, and whereas I witnessed a few disappointed customers the staff dealt with the situation wonderfully (I think they appreciated that sometimes technical problems do occur!).

So all that remains to be said is 'Happy Easter to you all', I'm heading to Pembrokeshire in South Wales for my Easter break, with Marloes Sands, St. David's, Poppit Sands and Port Eynon on my hit list. All hostels I've yet to 'bag', lets hope the weather behaves.

An extra sausage, but leaky roof

I've just got back from a weekend away to YHA Arnside for a regional council meeting followed by a night at YHA Ingleton. It was a regular meeting with around 30 people in attendance. It was nice to see some new faces. The majority of the day was used to discuss latest governance change developments. These changes are expected be on the agenda at this years national Annual General Meeting. It was a successful meeting with many key points reaching agreement, although there is clearly still work to do on the detail.

I carried onto YHA Ingleton for the Saturday night. Alan Bourne, a YHA National Officer, accompanied me for a bit of chat along the way. I've never been to the hostel at Ingleton before. I had plans several years ago, but never made it as I was involved in a car accident on the journey to the hostel. I've had plans to visit ever since. I think the weather forecast put people off, as the hostel was not that busy. But, on the plus side there was an extra sausage for me and extra baked beans for Alan at breakfast time!

I had chance to have a short chat to the manager before I left on the Sunday. He was just starting a bit of decorating on one of the bedrooms. Sadly, the roof of the hostel is seriously leaking in at least four places. Whilst the hostel had an internal refurbishment a few years ago, the roof was not replaced. The hostel is 4 star rated but the lack of investment is showing and Ingleton is just one example where we need to focus more on the bigger long-term picture. YHA has worked hard over recent months in putting together the best ever 3-year investment plan. This plan will ensure that building work that should have been done years ago will now get done at hundreds of hostels, whilst still ensuring a long-term sound financial position.

News from the Board meeting - "investing in the future"

Firstly I must apologise. Due to a technical hitch the blog I wanted to put online three weeks ago never made it to 'the printers', I then proceeded to go on holiday for two weeks. So I'm sorry for the delay between the last blog entry and this one. This is a 'double issue' as a result.

Well you have probably already seen the press release detailing the huge multi-million pound investment the Board has agreed to put into the YHA network. It took the best part of a day to discuss all the various investment plans and the Board also agreed the 2008-9 Budget, also discussed was the latest governance renewal proposals from the governance implementation group.

A new fundraising strategy was presented. Fundraising will be a key part of the business plan over the coming years and the Board is committed to developing YHA's fundraising abilities. The Board considered the job specification and recruitment process for our future Chief Executive. The job advert for the substantive post appeared in the Sunday Times on 24 February. The recruitment process will be extremely rigorous, and the Board will meet a shortlist of candidates at its meeting in Conwy later in May 2008. Opportunities to visit and stay in Youth Hostels are also planned for short-listed candidates.

Plans for the 2008 Do It 4 Real summer camps are now well advanced, with a budget of over £6 million. The aim once again will be to provide 10,000 children with a place on a week long activity camp during the school summer holidays in 2008. Do It 4 Real is now a well recognised annual event and is what YHA is all about.

The Board received the annual report on health and safety and agreed to a paper detailing the renewal of its insurance services. A discussion about YHA in Europe took place too. It was a very full day. The weekend gave me chance to visit the stunning and brand new YHA Whitby, but with the full content of the meeting I sadly didn't get much chance to see the sights of the town this time. However I am hoping to take my parents to stay at Whitby later this summer.

The Chairman recently announced the appointment of the new interim CEO, Caroline White. She comes from a distinguished background and is due to start on the 1st April. YHA is undergoing serious change - not only to our buildings but to the way we operate and work - this includes some change to our Senior Management Team. With the CEO, Finance and HR posts all undergoing some form of change at this moment in time. Don't forget, we are also working on renewing our governance system too. I can report that the Governance Implementation Group is making great progress behind the scenes.

I'm heading to YHA Arnside and YHA Ingleton in a couple of weeks time for a Regional Council meeting and plan a trip back to YHA National Forest in about three weeks time. I have just booked a four-night Easter trip to Pembrokeshire despite just enjoying two weeks on annual leave in the United States! So as you can see I have a full diary ahead of me.

From soy-sauce to business plans

As I write this I've just got back home from a long weekend away to South Wales and the Wye Valley. I don't tend to do formal events, so taking up an invite to the official launch of YHA Abergavenny was a new venture for me. It was a lovely day with the town Mayor and Chairman of the local council in attendance - all decked out with their chains of office, so plenty of 'bling' on show. The new partnership with YHA is great news for hostellers, as Abergavenny is a key gateway town to the area.

I then headed onto YHA Brecon. It was my first ever overnight at this hostel and it was nice to see the place busy. I spent most of the evening talking to two senior hostel assistants. With decades of YHA experience between them, it's really important I get their views and listen to their ideas. I also have to thank Ray for lending me his soy-sauce for my dinner - I forgot to pack it!

My third night took me to YHA Welsh Bicknor. It's been several years since I was last in the area. Another super night. I was amazed at how many life members were staying. Families, older people, cyclists and walkers were all resident - I had some very mixed and interesting conversations - everything from climate change to quality of television. The River Wye that flows outside the front of the hostel was very high after recent heavy rains, and my planned walk needed a few detours on Sunday morning.

I'll be back later next week for all the news from the Board meeting in Whitby.

Welsh delights

As you read this I'm likely to be in Wales. I've been invited to the official opening of YHA Abergavenny near the Brecon Beacons National Park. This Youth Hostel is part of the YHA Enterprise scheme, where private owners and operators can affiliate themselves to the YHA network. The Enterprise scheme is proving incredibly popular. It allows B&Bs, hostels and bunkhouses to operate under the YHA brand, so guests can be assured of YHA standards. Operators also benefit by being able to maximise the occupancy of their accommodation. The scheme is growing the YHA network and it’s a win win for all concerned.

Once I'm done with the opening I'm following onto YHA Brecon for a night stay followed by YHA Welsh Bicknor the next day. I'm hoping the weather behaves itself - I don't like walking in the rain and cold. Never the less this is one of the best times to go hostelling. Lower demand for hostel beds means lower prices at this time of year, with YHA Brecon only £8.95 per night throughout January. I'm hoping to use some new walking books I got for Christmas, but only if the sun shines, otherwise an early finish in the pub is likely. I'll let you know how my trip goes next week.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you all. I hope you had a peaceful Christmas. I've had my feet up at home over Christmas, but I did get chance to go north of the border to Edinburgh to do a spot of Christmas shopping. Obviously I stayed at the five star SYHA Edinburgh Central. I always loved the older SYHAs in Edinburgh but the new flagship building is a super place to rest ones head. After a cold and wet day outside on Princes Street it’s a really warm hostel to have dinner in the evening.

I also managed to get a quick overnight in at our spanking new YHA National Forest just before Christmas. I was lucky enough to visit on its second weekend open - I could still smell the new carpets. What can I say… seeing is believing…. You have to visit. I stayed in a 4-bed ensuite room with rural views. This new YHA is in the very centre of the Midlands near Ashby-de-la-Zouch and is ideal for cross country travelling if you are near the M42, A42, M1 or M6. Its perfect for cyclists too as this YHA now fills the gap that the loss of YHA Badby created. I'm hoping to overnight again later in the year and combine my stay with a visit to Drayton Manor theme park.

I have a busy January ahead of me. This coming week I'm heading north to YHA Head Office in Matlock. I'm attending a meeting of the Governance Implementation Group (GIG) - this is a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees. We are trying to put together proposals for changes to the way YHA governs itself. Changes may include having a smaller Board, increasing the number of regional meetings and perhaps electing all Trustees nationally rather than regionally. This is all subject to General Meeting approval and it's still early days. I and all the members of the GIG are still very much open to your views on the way forward. Updates and discussions are taking place at the next set of Regional Council meetings if you want to learn more.

Also on the January agenda is another Board meeting towards the end of January. This time in Whitby. This will be my first time at the new hostel so I'm really looking forward to testing the tea room out - I love cake!

Can you be bothered?

I got a question this week, "Why don't young people get involved with YHA governance?"

I suspect that young people don't get involved with the voluntary internal running of YHA because they either:

a) Don't understand it
b) Don't know about it
c) Don’t have enough spare time
d) Can't be bothered

Which one of the above are you? I can answer the first two questions right here and now.

The Rough Guide to Understanding YHA Governance

1. There is a Board of 26 Trustees, all volunteers
2. The majority of these are elected by 1 of 4 Regional Councils (Northern, Central, Southern & Wales)
3. Any YHA member can attend a Regional Council and if you want you can be elected onto the a Regional Council, you may then be selected to attend the YHA National AGM each year
4. It is possible to put a Motion to the AGM from a Regional Council
5. If you are really keen you may be elected to sit on the Board of Trustees - either through a regional council or by standing for election directly by the AGM
6. The Board appoints a Chief Executive (CEO)
7. The CEO appoints a set of Directors who appoint all other YHA paid staff

So you see its very simple….. go to a Regional Council meeting, vote for Trustees or stand yourself, tell them your views, then go to the AGM and tell the CEO, Chairman and other Trustees your views too!

Another comment I have had is, "I don't know when these meetings are". Well I don't really believe you, because as you read this you are just one click away from everything you need to know about how to have your say about the future of YHA. Take a look at the following webpage.

This page lists where all twenty 2007 regional meetings were held and will be updated with the 2008 dates and locations shortly. Our regional meetings are held all over the country in some beautiful hostel locations so I hope to see you at one of these meetings soon.

2008 will be a really exciting year to get involved with YHA as there is lots of change, lots of progress and lots of events and offers to take advantage of.

This will be my last blog entry before the New Year, so I will sign off by wishing you all a Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year. See you in 2008, Karl.

Meeting 'fans' in York

I'm slowly developing a group of regular readers. Okay, lets not mess about - lets call it a 'fan club'. As I travel about I'm now starting to get a few comments from folk who say they are reading my weekly bits of text. So I've ended up promising I'd name check a few this week! So howdee to Robin, Graham and Simon!

Okay lets get down to some business. Another weekend means another trip up to the north of England. This time it's a regular Northern England Regional Council meeting at YHA York. Sadly, I ended up staying the Friday night in a Travel Lodge on the M1 motorway rather then at a YHA, this is because it was the best option for my expenses! I'm allowed to claim my travel costs when I attend a meeting, but the Yorkshireman in me ensures I seek out the best value whenever I go away from home. Never the less I stayed Saturday night at YHA York. The hostel was full to the brim - it's that time of year when plenty of people do their Christmas shopping and I think they all decided to stay in York last weekend. YHA York is so popular it could do with a few more rooms - this is perhaps something to look at for the future.

I received a rather official looking YHA 'gold' identity badge last week. I suppose it'll get used on official visits, like when a new hostel opens. So I now feel well and truly part of the team. This blog was also put onto the internal YHA intranet last week, so I thought I better say a quick hello to all the hard working YHA staff in this weeks blog. I've been very lucky at meeting staff from all over England and Wales as an everyday hosteller over the years and I really would like to hear more from the staff now I'm sitting on the Board of Trustees. This invite also extends to all the YHA members out there. I'd especially like to know what you'd like to see in this blog over the coming weeks.

An auction and a difficult meeting

As I write I've just got back from a weekend at YHA Hartington in the Peak District. It was my second Board of Trustees meeting. This meeting was a bit longer than normal. We started on the Friday evening and finished at lunchtime on the Sunday. There was a mixture of informal presentations and discussions and some formal official business. Gosh, a tough meeting this one. If you have already had a browse around the news section of the YHA website then you'll already know that the Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of Dr Roger Clarke, our Chief Executive Officer.

It's times like that meeting when I realise that being on the Board is a very serious matter. Making decisions, understanding the arguments, financial and legal matters are a real challenge. It's not for the faint hearted that’s for sure. The Board has now started the process of recruiting the next Chief Executive, but this will take at least a few months to complete.

Despite a tough agenda I always really enjoy staying at Hartington. Since it got its refurbishment a few years ago it's looking great - a very smart and clean place to stay for a few days (or perhaps longer). A few days before, I along with all the other Board members, got an email asking to bring any suitable bits and bobs for a Chairman's Charity Auction as part of the Friday evening entertainment. The proceeds were for BBC Children in Need and YHA's Breaks 4 Kids. We raised over £500. I managed to buy an edition of the YHA members guide book from 1993. I was not member back then so it was nice to read about locations that are now closed. It reminds me that our network constantly evolves with hostels coming and going.

Miles and Smiles

The other week I decided to stay at YHA Ilam Hall in the Peak District. I managed to get a last minute bed as a group had cancelled – lucky me! I’m a bit of a fan of roller coasters. I know, I should grow up a bit! But I went to Alton Towers for the day – YHA Ilam Hall is about 15 minutes from the theme park. This and YHA Dimmingsdale are ideally placed for a trip to the towers.

As I type this I’ve just come back from a weekend to the YHA Wales Council meeting at YHA Conwy. It was their Annual General Meeting. It's one of the regional councils I’ve wanted to meet for ages. I now seem to spend some serious chunks of my life on the motorway or on a train heading up and down the country. I love travelling around, but my poor old car is clocking up the miles. I live in Devon and many of my meetings involve at least a few hours travel north or east.

Regional Councils are a key part of the governance of YHA, although there is currently a lot of discussion about how we might improve the way YHA is governed. The National Chairman, Chris Darmon, has invited me to sit on the Governance Implementation Group – a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees. At the start I was not a big supporter of changing the system but I've come to realise that YHA needs to better engage with young people in the way it is run. This includes taking a new look at our regional governance, our Board of Trustees structure and our selection procedures.

Sharing news from the Board

It has been a steep learning curve. I wanted to take a step back and see how Board meetings went on before putting my foot in it! They are fast paced with a heavy agenda. You get loads of stuff to read ahead of the meeting and lots of figures to look over. I don’t think I’ll get into any trouble if I tell you that we gave the green light to a new YHA in Cardiff city centre – if you have ever stayed in the current hostel, it’s safe to say it needs to be a bit more central. The Board also gave the go ahead for a rebuild of YHA Eastbourne. It got burnt down a few years ago due to an arson attack. Whilst doing a two week voluntary wardening stint at YHA Telscombe I went to cut the lawn at YHA Eastbourne – this was literally a few weeks before the fire. I saw my first ever wild grass snake whilst cutting the lawn that day. These sorts of memories are priceless.

I get frustrated with the concept that the Board of Trustees is ‘secret’. Obviously some stuff is commercially sensitive or private, but I’m hoping I can share some of the inside goings on with you in this blog over the coming months and years. Just send me your questions.

I take part in YHA Northern England Regional Council. YHA currently has a regional governance structure (although this is under review as I type my blog, more on this another time perhaps) and I’m lucky enough to be the vice-chair of the region. If you fancy coming along to a regional meeting then do get in touch - dates and locations can be found by clicking here.

I’m happy to get your questions and feedback on my blog. This is all new to me so please keep that in mind! I’ll try to answer common questions via the blog as time rolls on. My idea is to open up the world of YHA governance to all, especially younger people.

My first Board meeting

I’m new to the whole trustee lark; I’ve so far only been to one Board of Trustees meeting. That was at YHA Bristol a few weeks ago (Sept 29th 2007). I’ve discovered I’m the youngest member on the team, which is a bit of a shame. I’d hardly call myself young at 29 years old, but many say you are as young as you feel. The meetings are fairly formal – after all there are some serious discussions to be had. Never the less I made a weekend of the event, spending Friday and Saturday nights in the hostel. I love hostelling – talking to people, sharing stories and finding out what they like and dislike about the place. It’s my experiences as a member and volunteer that informs my judgement. YHA Bristol is right in the heart of clubland with a super lookout onto the water and canal basin. With 24-hour access and a café-bar it was clearly very popular with young people. It’s the second time I’ve stayed in Bristol, the last time I was in the hostel there was an earthquake! Nothing serious, but enough to wake me in the early hours! The epicentre was in Birmingham. At the time I just thought it was a guy moving around in the bunk bed below me! It was only the morning news that enlightened me.

Welcome from Karl Shepherdson

My name is Karl Shepherdson, I’m a YHA Trustee and Vice-Chair of the Northern England Regional Council and I am writing a bit of a blog online here for the first time. I asked some important people in YHA a few weeks ago if I could start on online diary and here I am! Wow, I thought the powers that be would never let me loose online but I’m really here – how cool is that!?

Why am I here I hear you scream? Well I have a story to tell, a journey if you like. Just like you I simply went hostelling one day – to be honest I had no money but wanted a holiday when I was a student. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I fell into the world of YHA and discovered how much it had to offer. One thing leads to another (more about that some other time) and I now find myself helping lead the YHA as a Trustee. It’s a long story how I got to this point and hopefully over the coming months I’ll share the details with you all.

Trustee, what the heck is that? This is a strange word to many, but basically I’m a volunteer who with a couple of dozen others help make YHA better. We try to ensure that the decisions made by senior managers are the right ones. Think of me as part of a football team. We are all trying to shoot towards the same goal. We may miss the net sometimes, but we are all wearing the same coloured shirt.