The youth hostel movement in Hong Kong
can be traced back to the vision in 1972 of two men, Seamus Rainbird and Gerald Strickland.
Strickland and Rainbird both believed that there was a pressingneed in Hong Kong to establish safe, well managed hostel facilities
for the growing number of young people in the territory. In particular,
they had in mind the needs of those who would appreciate individual
outdoor recreational activities rather than participation in the more organized institutional
type programmes provided for large groups by a number of existing governmental and
charitable bodies.
At that time, the majority of the population lived in crowded, densely packed public housing
estates or squatter areas. The Association"s founders thus envisaged the establishment of
a number of basic hostels in the rural areas as a long overdue means whereby young people
could escape temporarily from the constricting surroundings in which they lived.
Throughout 1972 and 1973 further discussions were held between interested individuals
and organizations including the Education Department, The Hong Kong Council of Social
Service, the Social Welfare Department and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.
An early and enthusiastic supporter was the then Governor, Sir Murry Maclehose himself a
keen hill walker with an intimate personal knowledge of the remoter reaches of the New
Territories and the outlying islands.
The Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association was formally established on 11 September 1973
under the Chairmanship of Gerald Strickland who guided the organization through its
formative years until his retirement in December 1978.
Administration and Finance of the Association
The Association is affiliated to the International Youth Hostel
Federation and is governed by an Executive Committee. Members of
this committee work on a voluntary, personal basis and are drawn
from within the ranks of Government and the private sector. Under
an elected Chairman, the Executive Committee meets on a quarterly
basis to formulate policy and to provide guidance to the full time
General Manager and her small and dedicated staffs.
Individual hostels are run by resident Hostel Managers who are given considerable latitude
to stamp each with their own personality. The aim of all, however, is to provide a warm,
welcoming and informal venue at which members from diverse backgrounds and different
countries can meet in comfort and friendship.
Prior to 1990, the Association"s offices were located in a commercial building in North
Point. These were subsequently re-located to Shek Kip Mei where the Housing Department
were in a position to provide suitable space at a concessional rental in the podium of
one of their residential blocks and the generous support of The Hongkong Bank Foundation
enabled this to be fitted out to our own specifications. This location has proved much
more convenient to our local members and volunteer groups who make full use of the
meeting facilities available there.
The Association is a registered non-profit making organization that is entirely dependent
upon the support of members and well wishers for its day-to-day financial health.
It is the policy of the Association to keep membership fees and overnight charges at the
minimum level possible consistent with prudent financial management. It is thereby intended
HKYHA hostels shall be accessible to all within the community at a cost that has hardly
risen at all in real terms since the establishment of our first hostel back in 1974.
Tight financial control and careful husbandry has enabled the Association to balance the
books over the years and accumulate a small surplus which is kept as a development/
contingency fund. The Association thus finds itself today in a sound financial position.
None of this would have been possible, however, without the generous financial support that
has been forthcoming to meet capital expenditure whether this is for the building of new
hostels in years past or for the continued development and upgrading of our current
properties.
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