Message from the organiser: 'This meeting is with the YHA Property Director to discuss the future of the Youth Hostel. It's a chance for local supporters of the campaign to present our case to save the house from sale.
Youth Hostel, Hill House, was donated to the YHA (Youth Hostels Association) by local resident Florence Reiss in 1935 for the specific purpose of providing a hostel with affordable accommodation for young people to visit this beautiful area. Over the years thousands of young people have benefited from staying there and enjoyed the beautiful countryside in the Goring Gap.
The current manager has developed the hostel considerably over a 20 year period. It is open 365 days a year, has 48 beds and a very high occupancy rate with over 9000 visitors. It is in the top tier of YHA hostels in terms of profitability and it receives great feedback reviews from users on Tripadvisor.
For reasons not fully explained, the YHA has decided to sell the property with or without the ‘option’ of continuing to run it as a YHA franchise. A likely outcome from any sale is that new owners would close down the hostel and develop the site themselves or sell it on for profit. This would be a significant loss to visitors and groups wishing to enjoy the countryside of the Goring Gap, The Ridgeway and The Thames Path.
We understand that the YHA, as a charity, needs to be fiscally prudent and careful with its resources – but its current financial position is healthy - making a staggering £4.1m in 2017/18, nearly 50% more than the previous year - so this is not a ‘distress sale’. The family who donated the property in the first place have not been consulted about the YHA’s plans.
This has happened before…. An attempt by YHA to sell Hill House was made in the early 1990s and was thwarted by a concerted campaign led by Annette Steed, a grand-daughter of Florence Reiss, with the support of local people, YHA members and concerned organisations such as the Countryside Commission. It now falls to the current residents of Streatley and Goring to repeat this battle!
Stop the Sale of Streatley YHA is a grass-roots campaign, set up by local residents, to ensure that the YHA stays true to its charitable objectives;
‘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’
On behalf of all the users of the hostel we want to help save it and ensure it continues to flourish. The campaign’s strategic and tactical plans are currently evolving and, in the first instance, the group is seeking support to help and coordinate a targeted campaign of emailing and letter-writing to not only the YHA Executive, but its trustees, the charity commissioners and other parties with the aim of reversing the YHA’s decision. Of course, there are many other actions that will be developed if necessary including the use of the press, the Ramblers Association, Scouts and other interested groups.'