It’s official - affiliated groups are still part of YHA’s life. Well, actually they’re part of YHA Life, the four-page news sheet currently hitting members’ doormats around the country.

With such limited space available it’s great to see Groups getting a mention. Here’s what they have to say:

YHA Groups - A great way to hostel

The YHA network is alive with different groups of people who share a love of YHA and travel. These groups are spread over England and Wales and provide opportunities for members of all ages and from many walks of life.

If you like travelling, enjoy the countryside, want to meet new people and love Youth Hostels then YHA Affiliate Groups are for you!

These are groups of like-minded people, who may be from the same locality or simply share the same hobby, who meet regularly to enjoy Youth Hostelling trips and other social activities. Have fun sharing everything from barbecues to slide shows, plus badminton, pub trips and much more!

If you would like more information on YHA and Affiliate Groups, call the Membership Department on 01629 592771 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Let’s hope this advert yields a few new members for groups around the country.

Incidentally, are barbecues, slide shows, badminton and pub trips still a representative sample of groups’ non-hostelling activities? It doesn’t sound too far off target for my own group (though we tend more to the pub than the badminton court), but what about yours? What do you get up to when you’re not at a hostel?