27/3/2006

Plaid AM Janet Ryder said today she was shocked and appalled to receive an abusive e-mail response from the Youth Hostel Association after her office had confirmed that she would be taking up their invitation to attend a reception in the National Assembly.

The reply from Communications Officer Maggie Cooper read: "Oh good - we will be having the opportunity to kick her up the arse - remind me to wear my Dr. Martins."(sic)

Janet Ryde recently voiced her opposition to the YHA proposal to close Llangollen Youth Hostel in October 2008, warning then that more than fifty jobs depended on the Youth Hostel site.

Ms Ryder, AM for North Wales, commented: "I was shocked and absolutely appalled to receive such an abusive e-mail from a supposedly respectable organisation like the Youth Hostel Association. It suggests that behind the scenes they have a total disregard for the opinions of others and that they don't think anyone has the right to question what they're doing. They've got to learn that they have responsibilities to the community. Public bodies should not be surprised when the decisions they make are questioned, particularly when their decision to close Llangollen Youth Hostel has been received with such dismay by the local community."

Anna Chapman, Wales Manager for the YHA, replied to Janet Ryder, after she had complained about their response:

".... I want to sincerely apologise for this email which was sent by my colleague Maggie Cooper and received in error by you on 1st March. Both myself and Maggie are absolutely mortified that this email has been sent, but I want to assure you that this email was not intended for yourself and does not under any circumstances refer to you. Maggie assures me that this email was a personal exchange with a friend she had been emailing that day and I have warned her that under no circumstances can she use company email in this manner. Please accept my sincere apologies again. Kind regards Anna Chapman."

Ms Ryder, Plaid's Shadow Education Minister, further commented: "I am not entirely convinced by their apology. Clearly, this e-mail wasn't intended for my eyes but I find it hard to believe that it was not written with reference to my opposition to their plans to close Llangollen Youth Hostel. I think the abusive response just underlines the unhealthy attitude of the Youth Hostel Association when their decisions are questioned by others.

"Nevertheless, I am still keen to meet with them and discuss their plans because I share the doubts of the local community that the closure of this hostel can be justified."

Ms Chapman told a local reporter for the Wrexham Evening Leader that the member of staff involved had two emails open at the same time and had replied to the wrong one, but added that there would be a full investigation into the incident. Ms Chapman said:

"This email was written on an unrelated matter and intended for a friend of the employee concerned and was never intended for Ms Ryder. We explained and apologised to her office as soon as we realised the mistake had happened and we subsequently wrote a personal apology for the upset it had caused. We realise that recent events concerning the closure of YHA Llangollen are very sensitive but YHA does not take any closures lightly and has organised a meeting on April 26 at Llangollen to update partners on the situation and to discuss the future. Ms Ryder has accepted an invitation to this meeting and we look forward to hearing her views. We recently confirmed that YHA Llangollen will not close until October 2008, which allows us time to find appropriate solutions to any problems the closure may cause. YHA is carrying out a full investigation into this incident and under no circumstances condone the use of email in this manner." Source - Wrexham Evening Leader Fri 24 March

Ms Ryder visited the Llangollen site recently to meet with representatives of the local businesses affected, Tyndwr Hall Children's Day Nursery and Pro-Active Adventure. She said at that time:

"I am deeply disappointed that the YHA has taken this decision. Tyndwr Hall Children's Day Nursery and Pro-Active Adventure both make extensive use of the site and have invested a lot of time, energy and resources in building up their thriving businesses. Both businesses provide jobs and training for school leavers and participate in work experience schemes with NEWI College and the local schools.

"The impact on Llangollen of the closure of the Youth Hostel will be to lose the only childcare option available to many, to lose 51 jobs, to lose a valuable resource for local youth, to lose the successful Credu Digilab, to jeopardise Llangollen's status as a centre for outdoor activities, to lose all the spending power of the 15,000 expected overnight stays, and the business of supplying goods and services to the site."