Yha business plan

YHA Business Plan2011–2014Reaching out and enhancing the lives of all young people

YHA England & Wales is a member of Hostelling International Call 0800 0191 700www.yha.org.uk

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YHA Business Plan | 2011 – 2014

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YHA is aiming to reach out

and enhance the lives of

all young people

Developing talented

people and teams

Putting the customer

�rst in everything

we do

Reaching more people

through experiences & partnerships

Achieving a �nancially sustainable

network

Processes

Co

mm u nication

s

Welcome to the YHA Business Plan for 2011–2014

Our vision is to reach out and enhance the lives of all young people. We have set out four strategic themes to help us achieve this vision over the next three years and these are:

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• Developing talented people and teams

• Putting the customer first in everything we do

• Reaching more people through experiences and partnerships

• Achieving a financially sustainable network.

This three year plan presents exciting

and challenging opportunities to

make the special and unique YHA

experience relevant for today’s young

people as well as an organisation that

is strong and secure for the future.

Every one of us has a part to play in

ensuring we deliver this vision.

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YHA Business Plan | 2011 – 2014YHA Business Plan | 2011 – 2014

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Vision, mission and values

SustainabilityWe contribute to the care of the environment.

PassionWe are positive and enthusiastic in our approach.

InnovationWe are creative in

improving what we do.

ResponsibilityWe take ownership for everything we do.

InclusivityWe encourage diversity and welcome people from all communities.

TrustWe deliver on our promises and are open and honest.

This is the SPIRIT of YHA.

To move towards this vision, over the next three years, we aspire to double the number of young people who

benefit from the YHA experience.

YHA’s mission is

“To inspire all, especially young people, to broaden their horizons, gaining knowledge and independence through new experiences of adventure and discovery”.

Values

YHA is built upon strong foundations. Our values and the way we behave are critical to the continued growth and success of YHA and we all play a part in ensuring these values and behaviours are right at the heart of

what we do.

The values are:

YHA is open to all so anyone can stay with YHA. YHA provides more than accommodation. YHA creates safe, healthy, fun and active experiences, for mainly young people, leading to:

Growth in learning, skills, and self-development.

Engagement with diverse people and communities.

Exploration of wider horizons of culture and location.

We encourage education and opportunities for everyone to learn and develop. For young people, just having to make their own bed, find or arrange their meals, and to take responsibility for themselves, increases confidence, self-reliance and

personal growth.

This experience sets YHA apart from other organisations and providers and is summarised in the table below.

What we do today

Reaching outto everyone

Encouraging aspirit of adventure

A tradition of sociability

Our experiencesets us apart

YHA is open to all and we are proud of our work with young disadvantaged people, giving them opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.

YHA is for everyone and we work hard to ensure the whole community can engage with us.

We engage with many partners to deliver our vision and strategic plan.

We are good citizens and follow best practice for environmental sustainability.

We help people of all ages to discover the world around us.

We enhance learning, skills development and personal growth – especially for young people.

We are forward looking in our desire to provide new and inspiring experiences for our customers.

Through innovation, we evolve continuously to meet the challenges of today and of the future.

We have a long tradition of inclusiveness and sociability.

We are part of a worldwide community of hostelling, accessible to people of all nations and cultures.

Our network of hostels is diverse; many are located in exceptional places.

Our hostel staff are knowledgeable, welcoming and non-judgemental. They create an environment which is safe, comfortable and reliable. Our customers trust us to deliver this.

We are a unique organisation with a strong heritage, supported by loyal stakeholders.

The YHA experience sets us apart; we will ensure that it retains relevance to our society.

We invest in our people, both employees and volunteers.

We ensure that our products and services are affordable and accessible.

We have strong beliefs and a passion for what we do.

“YHA is aiming to reach out and enhance the lives of all young people.”


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YHA Business Plan | 2011 – 2014 YHA Business Plan | 2011 – 2014

The strategic themes There are four key strategic themes which we will focus on over the next three years.

2011 to 2014 Developing talented people and teams

Our People are the ones who enhance the lives of young people.

We will continue to develop the skills and abilities of all our people. Reward, recognition and open communication are all key elements for engaged and motivated teams. People will be aware of their roles and responsibilities in delivering the strategy and the di�erence they make on a daily basis.

This is how we enhance the lives of young people.

The more funds we attract into YHA and the lower our costs, the more that we can do to reach out and enhance the lives of young people. We want to invest in a diverse inspiring network that meets customer needs where guests will want to stay today and in the future.

This is what enhances the lives of young people.

We o�er more than just a bed; we o�er an experience leading to growth, engagement and exploration, particularly for young people. We will build mutually beneficial partnerships to help us engage more young people, reach more communities, and deliver more experiences.

This is why people want to stay with us.

We will continue to deliver outstanding service to all our customers, internally and externally. We have to be always listening and hearing what our customers are saying, so that we are developing our services for them and bringing our vision to life for them.

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By 2014 we will be an outstanding organisation that people want to work for

Targets: • Delivery of a position in the Times

Top 100 Best Companies to work for

• Reducing permanent employee turnover from 25% to 16%.

By 2014 we will develop all our employees and volunteers to achieve their full potential for YHA

Targets: • Achieving Investors in People Gold

• Increasing the average number of training days per employee to 5 per annum

• Achieving Investors in Volunteers accreditation

• Increasing the number of active volunteers from 700 to 1,500 per annum

• Increasing the number of recorded volunteering hours from 95,000 to 140,000.

By 2014 we will engage young people in decisions about the services we provide

Targets:• Increase the numbers of youth

membership from 13,500 to 27,000

• Launch a Youth Council in Year 3.

We will continue to develop the skills and abilities of all our people. Reward, recognition and open communication are all key elements for engaged and motivated teams. People will be aware of their roles and responsibilities in delivering the strategy and the difference they make on a daily basis.

Our people are the ones who enhance the lives of young people.


• Continued delivery of a relevant training calendar accessible to all employees and volunteers

• Supporting internal promotions through the launch of management succession planning across the network

• Enhancing performance through 360-degree feedback for all senior managers.


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By 2014 we will be an outstanding organisation that people want to work forActions:

By 2014 we will develop all our employees and volunteers to achieve their full potential for YHAActions:

• Launch of an employee and volunteer recognition programme

• Listening, communicating and obtaining feedback from our employees and volunteers through people forums.

Additional plans: Additional plans:

Develop the employee survey strategy

Over the next three years we will continue to build upon

the feedback of all our people from our annual employee

survey. Detailed actions and commitments will be agreed

within all our teams and our progress against these

actions will be measured and communicated on a regular

basis.

Sector leading employee benefits programme

We want to ensure we have talented people and

teams who are being rewarded for their loyalty and

commitment. We will develop a relevant employee

benefits package for all employees which will enhance

our status as an employer of choice in this competitive

environment.

Develop an outstanding leadership team

We will continue our focus in improving the leadership

skills and behaviours of managers to ensure everyone is

aware of their role in delivering success within YHA.

Volunteering strategy

The support and dedication of our volunteers is one of the

things which makes YHA so special. Our volunteers are

critical in ensuring we deliver financial sustainability.

The volunteering strategy is focused on increasing the

number of volunteers and enhancing the volunteer

journey. This will be delivered through increasing the

range and quality of volunteer opportunities available

and recruiting and engaging new volunteers.



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By 2014 we will engage young people in decisions about the services we provideActions:

2011 to 2014 Putting the customer first in everything we do



all young people

Developing talented

people and teams



we do




network

Processes

Co

mm u nication

s

We will continue to deliver outstanding service to all our customers, internally and externally. We have to be always listening and hearing what our customers are saying, so that we are developing our services for them and bringing our vision to life for them.

This is why people want to stay with us.

By 2014 we will achieve growth in overnights

Target:

• 20% growth in overnights of which 75% comes from under 26 year olds.

By 2014 the customer will be everyone’s responsibility and at the heart of what we do

Targets:

• Increase in average customer satisfaction scores from 85% to 88%

• Increase in membership renewals from 52% to 62%

By 2014 customers will be advocates of YHA

Target:

• Net promoter score grows from 56% to 65%.

Communicating our message to all, but especially young people

Communication and consultation with young people is critical if we want to continue to be relevant to all young people. We want to ensure hostels, products and services are attractive to and appropriate for young people by ensuring we capture young people’s feedback after experiencing YHA. We intend to communicate directly with young people through improvements in social networking, use of third party websites, promotion at key events and through local networks.

Engaging with young people

We will increase the number of young people joining YHA as members and volunteering for us. Membership should

have value to all young people and youth groups tailored to different age groups. We will nurture our relationship with young members to build commitment and loyalty, carving a role for YHA in a young persons life.

Young people shaping YHA’s services

This is how young people directly contribute towards the direction and shape of YHA’s services. We intend that young people will inform decision making through mechanisms such as a youth council and through attendance at the All Party Parliamentary Group. We will embed youth participation as business as usual by developing youth engagement plans for each directorate.



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• Launch of a ‘back to the floor’ programme encouraging all National Office employees to spend a minimum of 2 days per year working within the network

• Increased number of hostels achieving Hostelling International Quality standards

• Further enhancement of Safety, Health, Environment and Quality standards, including Safeguarding.


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• Using social media to communicate and engage with more young people

• Development of an outbound sales team

• Launch of e-memberships.


By 2014 we will achieve growth in overnights

Actions:Customer relationship management

Integration of our customer information systems and databases will give a single view of the guests and members, leading to better understanding of their needs and wants.

New website

The new website will go live in 2011 including changes to booking processes and more online availability. A search engine optimisation programme will ensure that the YHA website appears higher in the search results for key terms.

Rebranding and PR

All marketing will be developed with the new branding. We will incorporate the new branding into hostel

developments and National Office. With the rebranding we will also undertake PR activity to increase awareness of the new face of YHA through competitions for members and guests including groups.

Hostelling International

As a member of Hostelling International we have access to a strong support network and wealth of hostelling experience. We intend to develop our working relationship with Hostelling International, working on new products together for the international market to increase occupancy levels at hostels. Hostel managers will be supported in liaising with Hostelling International on behalf of the network and driving business through the sharing of best practice.

By 2014 the customer will be everyone’s responsibility and at the heart of what we doActions:Values based customer service programme

To ensure all our people understand the importance of putting our customers at the heart of what we do, we will run a customer service programme focussing on the principle that “nothing is too much trouble”. This programme will be available to all and will encompass the SPIRIT values.

Delivery of Ideal Operating Model

This project aims to establish a defined working framework in which hostels can operate with a hostel banding structure allowing different staffing resources at different sized hostels within our network. We intend to provide clarity for the customer by meeting their expectations and by providing operational efficiency so

each hostel has the right level of staffing resource and skills to deliver excellent levels of service to all.

Loyalty programme

In 2011 a loyalty scheme will be launched to give back to those loyal members so crucial to the organisation both now and in the future. The loyalty programme will be used to attract more members and increase the perceived value of membership. We also want to use this programme to target and help members of limited means.


2011 to 2014 Reaching more people through experiences and partnerships



all young people

Developing talented

people and teams



we do




network

Processes

Co

mm u nication

s

We offer more than just a bed; we offer an experience leading to growth, engagement and exploration, particularly for young people. We will build mutually beneficial partnerships to help us engage more young people, reach more communities, and deliver more experiences.

This is what enhances the lives of young people.

• We will continue to develop a strong and consistent food and beverage offering and cafes open to the public wherever possible

• We will increase the numbers of members involved in governance.

Additional plans:


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By 2014 customers will be advocates of YHA

Actions: Developing customer feedback to inform our product

We will use the Customer Satisfaction Index to measure how well we are meeting our customers’ expectations in all the areas that are important to them.

Customer feedback will be extended to include all customer types including groups, trade and especially young people. We intend for our customers to understand how they can shape YHA standards and hostel design, creating an outstanding inspiring product.

We will continue to use the important insights provided by hostel inspections by reporting on quality of standards, cleanliness and customer service.

Members as ambassadors

We will recruit and support members and guests who are able to promote YHA through the media and we will have in place a programme of events to engage with members. We will work with affiliate groups so that they are able to be a key group for supporters for YHA.

Engaging members

We recognise that members want different relationships with YHA. Some want to stay with us and have a great experience, some want to be closer to YHA receiving news and information about YHA. Others want a closer relationship potentially leading to more members becoming involved in governance.

By 2014 we will provide great experiences and be the first choice for group leaders

Targets:

• Increase group revenues booked centrally from £1.2 million to £1.8 million.

• Increase travel trade revenues from £2 million to £2.6 million.

• Increase revenues booked through third party internet partners from £4.3 million to £5 million.

By 2014 we will have a strong network of strategic and community partnerships

Targets:

• Opening of 5 new hostels

• Growing the number of All Party Parliamentary Group members from 39 to 100.

By 2014 we will reach out to more young people

Targets:

• 100% increase in the number of young people benefiting from a Breaks 4 Kids grant

• Measuring the number of young people under 26 who experience YHA

• Reaching out and enhancing the lives of one million young people.



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• Opening of new hostels with support from our partners providing inspiring experiences for all our customers

• Hostels supported in developing closer links to the local community in which they operate; offering experiences and support to local groups

• Integrating the Mosaic project across YHA

• Partnerships database to assist localised and national mapping of all partners.


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• New model for sustainable YHA activity camps piloted in summer 2011

• National database of activity providers available on the intranet for hostels to extend the experiences they offer.


By 2014 we will provide great experiences and be the first choice for group leadersActions:Delivery of a Groups Retention Strategy

Groups return to hostels year after year because they have an inspiring experience. To retain educational and non-educational groups to YHA we intend to improve the whole customer journey for groups. This will include improvements in the booking process, moving to an account management way of working, and streamlined terms and conditions.

Group Acquisition Strategy

We will re-engage with lapsed group members, with strong promotions to influence a return to YHA, including free memberships to groups who work with young people.

The Travel Trade team will continue to grow their annual revenue over the next 3 years through finding new agents to partner with and awarding variable trade discounts based on the agent meeting growth targets. A Travel Trade e-Newsletter will also be developed.

Product development

YHA will continue to expand it’s range of products in the following three categories:

• Education – development of packages for secondary and higher education groups and PGCE students.

• Activity – continuation of summer camps, National Citizenship, family short break packages and development of foreign language packages

• Sole use – Escape to, conference, events

We will continue to ensure that our group products and services represent our values of inclusivity and are accessible and affordable to all. Product development will have a specific focus on evaluation of experiences provided. YHA will be able to measure its impact on young people against national targets relating to well-being, health, social and educational targets.

Expansion of Learn 4 Real to 25 sites

We intend to raise YHA’s profile as a provider of learning and development opportunities for young people. Our Learn 4 Real product provides high quality, affordable school trip packages to support teachers’ needs to meet the demands of the national curriculum. We enhance the personal development of young people by promoting and delivering learning outside of the classroom. We aim to expand Learn 4 Real to 25 sites in the network, achieving Learning Outside the Classroom accreditation at all sites.

By 2014 we will have a strong network of strategic and community partnershipsActions:Affiliation strategy

Our Enterprise hostels allow us to extend the reach of YHA, delivering more inspiring experiences for young people. We will review our approach to the current Enterprise operation and consider alternative affiliate models.

Engaging with Government and statutory agencies

YHA enjoys good support from MPs particularly through the All Party Parliamentary Youth Hostelling Group. We will identify and recruit new members to this group through engagement with YHA programmes and

interaction with local constituency Youth Hostels. We intend to build up our portfolio of key contacts in the Civil Service in the Department for Education and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. We will be the ‘come to’ organisation for Government and statutory agencies.

Forming a network of commercial partners

Working with commercial partners provides access to reciprocal marketing and fundraising support. We intend to identify and develop key fundraising partners to deliver against specific projects.





all young people

Developing talented

people and teams



we do




network

Processes

Co

mm u nication

s

The more funds we attract into YHA and the lower our costs, the more that we can do to reach out and enhance the lives of young people. We want to invest in a diverse inspiring network that meets customer needs where guests will want to stay today and in the future.

This is how we enhance the lives of young people.

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• Continuing to work in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Services to provide activity breaks for bereaved service families

• Continuing to attract statutory funding for young peoples programmes such as the National Citizen Service

• Focusing on young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) to provide them with the skills and confidence to move on with their lives.

Additional plans:

By 2014 we will reach out to more young people

Actions:

2011 to 2014 Achieving a financially sustainable networkRe-vitalise Breaks 4 Kids

Our YHA bursary fund Breaks 4 Kids helps to set us apart from other organisations. We value inclusivity and diversity; we don’t want any young people to be excluded from our educational experiences through a lack of money. We will re-launch Breaks 4 Kids to make it more dynamic to both internal stakeholders and potential fundraisers.

The Scheme will be extended from school groups to children of families of limited means. We will work in partnership with young carers, cancer rehabilitation charities and young offenders to be the accommodation

provider of choice. We will increase our fundraising through corporate donations, digital marketing campaigns, dedicated community events programmes and partnerships with grant making trusts.

Partnerships with third sector partners

Building mutually beneficial partnerships will ensure the YHA experience is available to more young people. Working with third sector partners with shared objectives, including educational services providers, will support funding applications and increase our skill base.

By 2014 we will develop a network that meets customer needs

Targets:

• 75% of the network will be invested in

• We will have plans on all hostels futures

By 2014 we will continue to achieve financial targets giving us choices of how and where we spend our money

Target:

• Achieving financial targets in 10 year cash flow.

By 2014 we will have embedded effective planning and performance throughout the organisation

Targets:

• Business wide plans delivering the strategic objective

• 7% reduction in energy usage

• 30 hostels supported in gaining Eco-Label accreditation


• Reviewing winter months operations in hostels

• Review of Escape to, hire of properties for exclusive use

• Review of pensions provision to support Pensions Act 2008.


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• We will identify opportunities for non-residential hostel day use.


By 2014 we will develop a network that meets customer needsActions:Delivery of the Capital Strategy

Over the years we have not had enough funds to invest in our hostels. This has resulted in a backlog of investment in the region of £90million simply to keep the services and facilities running and to match the expectations of our guests.

To address this backlog, our capital strategy will show an investment of around £40m over the next 5 years. This is in addition to the £12 million we have already invested in Pathfinder and Phase 1 projects. We want a network of diverse hostels of different sizes, able to provide consistently high standards that deliver great customer experiences and can enhance the lives of young people. This means the size of the network will have to reduce as there are some hostels where the level of investment required will never give YHA a return and the disposal of these hostels will allow us to invest in others. This strategy was approved by the Board in 2010.

Transferring Business

We will continue to provide great customer service to all our guests even when hostels have to close. Hostels will be supported in working together to transfer business to the nearest most appropriate hostel in the area to ensure we can continue to provide an inspiring experience for our customers.

Design Standards

YHA will continue to develop and refine our design standards to ensure they are aligned to our customers’ expectations. In doing so we will seek customer feedback, specifically from young people. YHA’s unique selling point is the provision of large social areas where our customers can informally relax and interact with each other. Our excellent supporting services and facilities including self-catering kitchens, drying rooms and cycle sheds help our customers enjoy the YHA Experience.

By 2014 we will continue to achieve financial targets giving us choices of how and where we spend our moneyActions: Appropriate structures for a sustainable business

As the size and shape of the business changes in line with the capital strategy we will continually review all of our staffing resources and structures to ensure they support business delivery. We will continue to be open about our plans and consult with our people about the best ways to deliver our objectives.

Phoenix project

We intend to utilise the skills within YHA to develop a team of experts who will support hostels which are not performing to their full potential. This team will include an individual from each relevant support function and will focus on improving performance with the Hostel Manager. This approach will allow us to pilot new initiatives and measure their success and is not dependent on capital investment. We will focus on the hostels which represent the most significant potential improvement.

Tertiary sales

Tertiary sales are a valuable income stream for YHA. We will continue to seek new products and services for our guests and review our suppliers and procurement practices to ensure YHA has the best possible product and price to offer to our customers.

New technology and cost effective systems

We have invested significantly in our ICT systems over the last three years and will continue to do so to remain competitive and ensure that the systems are fast and flexible for use by internal and external customers. Investing in new technology builds cost efficiencies, for example reducing travel time for employees through the pilot introduction of video conferencing and reducing maintenance time for the ICT team by replacing hostel PCs with thin client units.



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• There will be a culture of internal customer focus from all teams to support hostels in their plans

• Individual objectives in IPODs will be aligned to business plans.

Additional plans:

By 2014 we will have embedded effective planning and performance throughout the organisationActions:Regional and Hostel business planning

We can only deliver our vision if everyone in the organisation understands their role and responsibility. Business planning at directorate, team and hostel level allows us to capture and use our teams’ passion and innovative ideas within the framework of the four strategic themes.

Regional plans will be set within the framework of the capital strategy and linked to segmentation.

We will roll out action plans at hostels such that each hostel is able to identify how they will deliver all of the strategic themes and importantly set clear targets for the year such that we can measure progress and celebrate success. The planning cycle will be aligned to the budgeting cycle so annual budgets set are supported by plans explaining how we will achieve those targets.

Balanced Scorecard

A balanced scorecard is a tool for communicating the strategy of YHA. It is a simple one-page framework to

describe the strategy with clear targets to measure our success. The scorecard can be created at all levels, with data relevant for each particular team and will become the most important tool for sharing, discussing and monitoring progress with our strategy.

Environmental Sustainability Strategy

At YHA are responsible for doing our work in the most environmentally sensitive way. We plan to reduce energy use in our hostels; minimise the amount of waste we produce and provide recycling facilities for as many different types of waste as possible. These measures will not only improve our environmental performance but will reduce energy usage and provide the opportunity to promote YHA as an environmentally sustainable organisation.

Hostel Environmental Plans will target achievable improvements in hostel performance and will put into action features of the Hostelling International environmental charter. This will include supporting 30 hostels in gaining the EU Eco label.

Planning at YHA

One -Year Operating Plan

‘How we will deliver the four strategic themes this year’ The one-year operating plan is used to measure and report the progress on key projects from the three-year business plan and is linked to the budget.

The operating plan is updated on a quarterly basis and used to report to the Board of Trustees.

Directorate and Team Plans

‘What does the directorate or team need to do to deliver the four strategic themes’Directorate and team plans are also aligned to the four strategic themes. These plans are used to set individual objectives for team members.

IPODs

‘How can I help to deliver the strategic themes and vision of YHA’IPOD reviews are focused on you as an individual. Your personal objectives are linked to those of your team, directorate and the strategic themes and vision of YHA.

We can only deliver our vision if everyone in the organisation understands their role and responsibility in doing this.

You can find more information in the following documents:


YHA Business Plan2011–2014

The charitable object of YHA is:

“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.”

YHA (England & Wales) Limited is a member of Hosteling InternationalCall 0800 0191 700www.yha.org.uk

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