Ironbridge venue celebrates as minister announces £1m for Youth Hostel Association
A county youth hostel was the venue for a government minister to announce £1m of support for the organisation.
Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston visited the Youth Hostel Association's (YHA) Ironbridge Coalport location as £999,900 was awarded to the group from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage.
The money was the largest single grant awarded in the funding round and will help the national youth charity to fully re-open its youth hostel network from April 1.
The re-opening of all YHA accommodation will help boost the charity’s recovery from the financial impact of the pandemic.
The YHA has welcomed 308,598 guests between September 2021 and March 2022.
Following the full re-opening of all its properties, it expects its network capacity to increase by nearly 10 per cent ahead of the spring/summer season.
The funding announcement comes as English Tourism Week runs until Sunday, March 27.
During his visit to Coalport Mr Huddleston said: "I'm delighted that thanks to our support the YHA can now fully reopen its network of youth hostels to the public.
"As we celebrate English Tourism Week and look forward to the upcoming holiday season, this news is another boon for our wonderful tourism industry to continue its bounce back from the pandemic."
YHA Ironbridge Coalport opened in 1997.
The Grade II listed building is a former China Works owned by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and set within a World Heritage Site.
It is one of a number of examples of buildings in YHA’s network of properties, which supports young people to access heritage both in and from hostels.
The Ironbridge Coalport is a popular youth hostel with schools and universities.
Pre-pandemic, approximately 50 per cent of the guests were young people aged under 26.
In 2019, 32 primary schools, two secondary schools and three universities/colleges enjoyed stays at the site.
During the visit Mr Huddleston met with YHA Chief Executive James Blake, YHA Chair Margaret Hart, Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England and the Manager and Deputy Manager of YHA Ironbridge Coalport Ben Platt and Andrew Philipson.
Welcoming the grant Mr Blake said: “The forced closure of rooms, social spaces and communal kitchens at the height of the pandemic meant, for the first time in YHA’s history we were encouraging people not to be social. The recent grant funding will enable us, once again, to fully return to our original purpose of providing affordable places to stay to connect with people, the outdoors and heritage.”
He added: “We’re immensely gratefully to the government for its support during what has been the most challenging financial period in YHA’s 92-year history.
“The Culture Recovery Fund has helped YHA emerge from the pandemic in a stronger position and fully open for business from April when all Government restrictions end. We look forward to helping many more individuals, families, schools and groups access the country’s wonderful natural and cultural heritage in and around hostels this year. Being fully open will also allow us to create more than 350 jobs throughout the network.”
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “This much-needed Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage grant will enable YHA to open their heritage sites, which include many historic buildings and landscapes, for the spring and summer season and enable them to move forward with their exciting plans to engage young people. YHA alongside other UK heritage organisations, sites and attractions have faced unprecedented times, and support of the heritage sector remains vitally important for places, people and the economy.”
Mr Wilson added: “We are pleased that the Culture Recovery Fund has been able to provide vital support to YHA to continue its good work across the country – allowing people to discover new places, explore heritage and the great outdoors, and socialise – which are all extremely important as we emerge from the pandemic.
