Richard Schirrman, a German schoolteacher, first thought of Youth Hostels a hundred years ago. He wanted to give young people living in cities the chance to get out in the fresh air, to explore the countryside and to have a break from their dismal surroundings.
He understood the difference a night in a new place, meeting new people and sharing new experiences in fresh surroundings, could make, particularly for young people.
From there the idea spread. The Youth Hostels Association of Great Britain was formed in 1930. Shortly afterwards, it became YHA (England and Wales) with separate associations for Scotland and Ireland.
The early days of YHA are a fascinating story of determination and unlimited enthusiasm for a cause whose time had come. The Spirit of YHA, by Helen Maurice-Jones and Lindsey Porter, tells the story of how early pioneers started the Youth Hostels Association and developed the ‘spirit’ of YHA.
During the Second World War the number of YHA members doubled.
By the 80s, YHA was facing a rapidly changing world. Maintaining accommodation in a wide range of buildings, in castles, in manors, and purpose built properties, in towns, cities and in some of the best bits of the countryside, often in wild and remote places, was increasingly expensive.
Considerable change took place within the organisation around this time with the establishment of a national framework and a professional management structure.
The needs of the modern-day traveller were also changing. Young people were starting to travel. They wanted to explore a wider world, to meet with and share experiences with others from different backgrounds and cultures.
They wanted smaller rooms, better toilets and showers – the comforts and convenience of the modern world. Increasingly they began to book on the internet.
Our network of properties has continually changed. New Youth Hostels have opened and others closed as the needs and patterns of travel changed.
Young people have always benefited from YHA. In the ‘fifties YHA started the first activity holidays for young people and today thousands of young people benefit from the hugely popular Do it 4 Real summer camps and Learn 4 Real educational programmes.
For more information on YHA’s History contact: hannahcurzon@yha.org.uk
YHA Today
- Is open to all - individual travellers, families, school and youth groups, recording around two million overnight stays each year
- Runs a network of 200 Youth Hostels, bunkhouses and camping barns, in stunning rural, coastal and city locations throughout England and Wales
- Has over 200,000 members
- Is supported by 2,000 voluntary workers
- Employs 1,200 staff including 600 seasonal staff
- Has an annual turnover of £38.5 million
- Is one of Britain’s top 50 charities
- Accommodates 750,000 overnight stays by young people under the age of 18 each year, travelling independently, with families or as part of an organised group.
- Helps provide learning opportunities for 8,000 school, college and youth groups to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and other educational needs.
- Gives thousands of disadvantaged young people each year a trip part-funded by YHA’s Breaks 4 Kids scheme.
- Welcomes visitors from 80 different nations each year, accounting for 500,000 overnight stays.
- Is an active member of Hostelling International (HI) which embraces 60 countries, with 4,000 Youth Hostels and 3.2 million members worldwide. HI is the largest budget accommodation network in the world.