Peter Gaines, YHA chairman, is marking his reappointment with a £2.5million investment in Bath Youth Hostel, to make it more accessible for schools and young people.
Peter Gaines who has recently been reappointed as the chairman of the leading youth charity YHA (England and Wales), has signed off a £2.5 million investment in Bath Youth Hostel, the single biggest investment in a Youth Hostel in the South West.
What can be expected from the youth hostel?
As part of the investment, the youth hostel, which is based on Bathwick Hill, has received planning permission to build a new bedroom annex, which will bring the total number of beds to 133, making it suitable for large school groups. The bedrooms within the annex will all be en-suite and a further five en-suite bedrooms will be created in the existing building.
The main building, a listed Italian-style mansion set in large private gardens, will undergo a total refurbishment and upgrade bringing it up to the standards expected from visitors. A new cycle store and guest laundrette will also be created, and all bedroom doors will have secure electronic key access, making a school trip even safer.
The youth hostel is currently closed ahead of work starting this month and will re-open again in April following the refurbishment of the main building. Construction of the annex will begin in March and is expected to be open in September.
Further information
Commenting on his priorities as chairman, Gaines said: “YHA is leading national charity with a primary aim of reaching out to all, but especially young people and their families with challenging lives. Running parallel with this mission is the need to operate an organisation which is financially sustainable and fully modernised which is why I am delighted we are able to invest so extensively in YHA Bath and the South West.
“This investment in Bath typifies the modern YHA of the future. Bath is a popular destination for both school groups and young people and their families and it was important to me that we brought the Youth Hostel up to the world class accommodation standards now associated with the YHA network.”
For more information, visit www.yha.org.uk.
