News from The Women’s Holiday Centre October 14, 2011

snowy pen-y-ghent

Welcome to our new website! Please bear with us as we continue developing it

The house is a truly unique place that has seen the beginning of many lasting friendships between women and children.

…. STOP PRESS !! ….

WINTER OFFER: 3 NIGHTS for the price of 2 (applies Sunday-Thursday nights in January and February, excluding school holidays).

HORTON NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Once again we need URGENT ONE-OFF DONATIONS to help us cover essential fire safety work. We need to raise around £2000 over the next couple of months. So far we have raised over £400 through generous responses to appeals like this one, so we know we can raise the rest. Every little helps, since lots of little donations really add up. If you would like to help us, please hit the DONATE button on the right of this page or send a cheque to the house. If your donation is not anonymous, include a covering note or message so we can say thanks.

Alternatively you may like to help us fundraise by putting on an event, such as a benefit gig or jumble sale. If you’d like to ask us about putting on fundraising events, or need literature for an event, please contact us. We also welcome donated items (such as a working and robust vacuum cleaner), but please see our Wish List or contact the house before donating items as donated items that we cannot use only create clutter for the house, detracting from its homey atmosphere.

Other news:

Kittens by fire

HORTON WHC 2012 CALENDARS NOW ON SALE!

Reduced in price – Full colour £5 or 5 for £20 inc. p&p, black/white £2.50 or 5 for £10 inc. p&p. They have been lovingly homemade at the holiday centre by workers and volunteers working long into the night! Include stunning shots of the local area and stunning shots of your friendly workers and some guests who have visited! So if you are looking for last-minute gifts or would like one yourself, either call us on 01729 860207, or hit the DONATE button on the right of this page to pay for your calendars, making sure you include a message giving your address and your precise order.

See photo to the left as an example of one of the images.

You can click on it to enlarge it.

NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES

We finally have sensible, easy to remember email addresses -

info@hortonwhc.org.uk – for contacting the workers

management@hortonwhc.org.uk – for contacting the Management Committee

SLIDING SCALE FOR PAYMENTS

We have simplified our prices, but have kept to the principle of the lowest rate reflecting the daily rate for those on benefits. Please remember to include all income (eg tax credits, housing benefit etc) when working out what you should pay, and please bear in mind that the actual cost per bed per night is about £25. For most women, the prices will have gone up slightly, and we have had to lower the age at which we charge half rate for children from 5yrs to 2yrs. It may be possible to negotiate a reduced rate for off-peak times though (mid-week, term-time) if these increases might otherwise prevent you from being able to come to the WHC, so please contact the workers in advance to discuss this. click here for more info about our prices.

We are currently looking for NEW HOUSE SITTERS and NEW MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

Please contact the house if interested.

Please help spread the word

There are buttons on most of our pages for twitter, facebook and email.

Wireless Internet

We now have WIRELESS INTERNET at Horton! But don’t worry – if you’re coming to truly get away from it all you don’t have to use it and we are restricting where it can be used in the house so some rooms remain internet-free

PayPal

We now take payments and donations via PayPal – see the link in the box on the right.

Prices November 30, 2011

visitors at the WHC

For bookings and more information, please call during office hours … 10am-8pm only.

Most likely times to catch us are 10 – 12 am, and 6 -8 pm.

The house is likely to be busy during the summer and at all school holiday times. If you do get the answer machine, then please leave us a message, and we’ll call you back. Please remember that the workers are not always available to answer the phone, as we have development work to do too, and sometimes take time off!

You can also Book Now via e-mail, but either way, as soon as you have checked there are vacancies, it is very important that you send a deposit of half of the cost of your stay to confirm your place.

Payments can be made via PayPal by using the button in the box on the right.

Deposits are non-refundable, and are charged on a per-night basis.

Please pay as much as you can afford.

The running costs are only covered if you pay £25 per night or more.

We operate at a loss, and welcome your support with fundraising to fill the gap!

Annual Gross Income	Weekly Gross Income	Price per night	Children over two	Children under two
Up to £8,000	Up to £155	£10.00	£5.00 per child	£2 per child
£8,001 to £12,000	£156 to £230	£15.00	£7.50 per child	£2 per child
£12,001 to £18,000	£231 to £345	£20.00	£10.00 per child	£2 per child
£18,001 to £25,000	£346 to £485	£25.00	£10.00 per child	£2 per child
Over £25,000	Over £485	£30.00	£10.00 per child	£2 per child

Donations above these amounts are welcome

Please make sure you include all income when working out how much you should pay eg. Tax Credits, Housing benefits etc. The payment system is operated on trust, so please work out for yourself which is the correct amount for you to pay.

Please remember to add a donation if you eat lunch or an evening meal on the day of your departure

a group booking

Group bookings

Groups (both formal organised groups, or groups of friends) may book the whole house, closing it to other visitors. This must be for a minimum of two nights if it is at the weekend. The involvement of workers during this time can be negotiated. We usually only allow two closed-house bookings per month. The following rates apply :-

• Statutory and well-funded groups / organisations -
  minimum £300 per night
• Partly-funded groups / organisations – minimum £250 per night
• Voluntary and unfunded groups / organisations -
  minimum £180 per night

Feel free to contact us about this, but please remember that these amounts are the minimum we need to sustain the house. It might be possible to negotiate a lower amount at off-peak times, especially mid-week. Women coming in groups should still pay according to the sliding scale above eg. guests earning up to £25,000 per year still pay £25 per night. The minimum rates only apply when this is more than the total price on the individual rates.

Camping

Charges are based on the same sliding scale as above, less £2 per adult per night. This includes food and the use of house facilities. Tents etc are not provided.

About Horton WHC July 22, 2011

front of house

For contact details, see the “enquiries and bookings” box on the right.

The Women’s Holiday Centre is in the small Yorkshire village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale, and is the only collective, non-profit-making, holiday centre for women and children in the UK. It was set up in 1980 as a charitable co-operative, by women involved in feminism and the women’s liberation movement. Since then, this volunteer-run women’s co-op has been making a difference to the lives of thousands of women and children from all over the country, by providing affordable holidays with a sliding scale for payments according to income. We aim to keep the lowest charge for one night, including food, at the daily rate of benefit entitlement. Other low-cost holiday options, such as renting a caravan or camping, can leave a woman feeling even more isolated and vulnerable than she does at home, with many more practical tasks to manage in a smaller space. In contrast, the Women’s Holiday Centre provides a uniquely supportive environment, where women often socialise together and share meals etc.

the old vicarage

The Women’s Holiday Centre is for all women, with or without children, on their own, or with friends. Women from all walks of life are welcome and visit regularly. The house offers a safe and friendly environment, where women and children can feel at home and get to know each other. Items such as towels, toiletries, and both adult and children’s spare coats/hats/gloves/wellies etc are kept at the house so that those using public transport have less to carry.

The part B&B, part hostel style accommodation consists of a mix of private and shared bedrooms, plus two sitting rooms, a large playroom, large kitchen and garden. There is a very relaxed and informal self-catering arrangement, with vegetarian and vegan food provided. During mid-week term-times, the house can offer a quiet place that can be ideal for women recovering from various illnesses or stresses.

Disabled access is very basic at the moment, and we are currently working to raise funds for substantial alterations to improve this. Please contact us to discuss any particular requirements.

promoting the WHC

Promote Horton please!

If there is anywhere that you could put a small poster or some leaflets for Horton, please send an s.a.e or ask for one to be emailed. With our limited budget, it’s always difficult to reach new women, so we rely on your help.

Please also help spread the word by using the buttons on the various pages to share this on twitter, facebook, or by email.