Few who visit YHA Snowdon Bryn Gwynant are unmoved by its location. This Victorian mansion is set in 42 leafy acres among the giants of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. It overlooks Llyn Gwynant, Moel Hebog and Yr Wyddfa *(Snowdon) itself. That the view from the hostel is one of the most photographed in Eryri (Snowdonia) should tell you everything.
Since opening as a hostel in 1959, more than half a million people have stayed at the property, using it as a base from which to walk, paddle and cycle the nearby lakes and mountains. It’s a place of tranquillity and quiet with no mobile signal. YHA Snowdon Bryn Gwynant is an extraordinary place. But the hostel needs investment to secure its future. So we’ve come up with a ground-breaking vision to save it.
View across YHA Bryn Gwynant
We see YHA Snowdon Bryn Gwynant becoming a national treasure, a centre of learning excellence, a leading activity centre in Wales. We want it to become our first ‘Campus Hostel’, to offer a work-skills programme that will support young people into careers. Spending time in nature improves wellbeing. We want YHA Snowdon Bryn Gwynant to be the gateway to the great outdoors for everyone, but especially young people and families who could most benefit from time in one of the most beautiful places in the country. A key part of our vision is to create a fund so people with really challenging lives can stay for free.
YHA’s CEO James Blake said: “Our ambition is to make YHA Snowdon Bryn Gwynant our first five-star hostel in North Wales. This place has the potential to make a profound difference to generations of young people. If we achieve our aims, it will be an unbeatable asset for this charity, the thousands of young people who will use it and the Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.”
We have big plans. But we need your help to achieve them. So what do we need? To save and restore the fabric of the building, we’ll need £1.92m. To set up the work-skills programme and establish a fund to support breaks for young people and families with challenging lives we’re looking at £80,000. That’s £2 million in all. It will take us all working together to get this funded. With enough support, we would also restore the grandeur of the grounds, improve its walkways and trails, and make a place for those lakeside views to be enjoyed by everyone.
It’s the most ambitious fundraising project we’ve ever embarked on, but together we can do it.
How you can help?
Help secure the future of YHA Snowdon Bryn Gwynant.
Please give what you can here.
