Member Article

New Chairman appointed at YHA

Youth hostelling charity YHA (England and Wales) has appointed Peter Gaines as Chairman of the organisation. Peter was previously the charity’s Vice Chair and replaces Chris Darmon who retired as Chairman earlier this year following the end of an eight-year tenure in the post.

Peter’s appointment follows the charity’s £31 million investment in the 140-strong network of properties during the last five years. The investment has contributed to YHA achieving its most successful financial year ever in 2014 and it is already on target to exceed financial targets again in 2015.

In his new role Peter is keen for the charity to make faster progress on finding and engaging the next generation of YHA users. He wants the work being done by YHA to improve the lives of young people to reach many more beneficiaries and the benefits of out of classroom education to be recognised as of vital importance in enhancing the development of young people.

A former Vice President of an international petrochemical company, Peter has been a Trustee of YHA (England and Wales) since 2012 and a member for more than 40 years. Following retirement from his successful commercial career, Peter is keen to use his corporate experience, business skills and love for the outdoors in his role as YHA Chairman.

He commented: “First and foremost YHA is a charity with a primary aim of reaching out to young people with limited means. However, running parallel with this is the need to operate an organisation which is financially sustainable and has a future. In my role as Chair I want to increase YHA’s association with the corporate sector and develop mutually beneficial partnerships to enable us to look further down the road in our investment plans.

“YHA is doing well, but this is no coincidence. The YHA Board, Executive, Councils and members are now working more collaboratively than ever and we have great, enthusiastic staff who are enabling us to build a platform for success. We have a substantial investment plan going forward which I want to be more ambitious, bringing the entire network to a standard we can all be proud of as fast as possible.”

As Vice Chairman, Peter was instrumental in spearheading a number of wider membership engagement initiatives. He explained: “When I took on the role of Vice Chairman I was keen that position had a function and that I worked actively alongside the team that has been instrumental in creating the 21st Century organisation that YHA has become.

“We now have procedures and systems in place that quantify the impact the charity is making in society, from the 4,500 young people that stayed with us as part of the National Citizen Service Programme in 2014 to the £1m value of volunteering hours contributed last year. We are doing great things and now need to go out and sell these messages, particularly to the corporate sector.”

YHA’s Impact Review, which will be launched in October later this year at Central Hall in Westminster, details the positive impact YHA (England and Wales) is making in achieving its charitable aims. The report, details how YHA makes a positive difference to the lives of thousands of young people every year and gives them skills and confidence for their future. Over half a million young people had a YHA experience in 2014, and YHA has plans to increase this to one million each year.

Peter (61) is from Wellow in Bath. He is married with two grown up daughters and one grandchild. He is a keen walker enjoying trekking in Peru, Nepal and the Pyrenees as well as the UK’s own coastal paths and National Parks.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Danielle Munn .