YET is looking through this survey to obtain evidence supporting the struggle youth expedition providers are facing due to the impact of COVID-19
YET is very aware that the majority of UK providers of overseas ventures for young people have been devastated by the international impact of COVID-19. Most will have had little or no income to fund work since last autumn, be faced with cancelling arrangements for proposed ventures in 2020, and being unable to develop plans and proposals for 2021 with any confidence that they can be delivered.
Other sectors of outdoor provision are beginning to gather data to support the plight of individual employees and providers be it one man/woman and a van through to the largest multinational centres, and everything in between. In its mission statement YET clearly states that it is the national voice of youth expedition providers and that part of its function is to make representations, on behalf of members many of whom who will be providers, to government and other policy-making bodies to promote the value of youth expeditions.
We in YET sense this impact for the expedition sector and can speak of it in general terms. However, we have no substantiated facts either to support this belief, or to enable YET to act as a responsible body to lobby on behalf of the sector in a way that brings home the:
- Impact on the education and development of young people
- Impact on employment of persons in the sector in the UK (even without mentioning the impact on economically more fragile communities in many host countries)
- Overall financial loss to the British economy
We have created an anonymous COVID-19 Expedition Survey and ask you, as an expedition provider, to complete it to enable YET to obtain a better overall picture.
Once contributions have been received the aim is to collate the results which we will share with the sector. Further, we will use the results as a vehicle to substantiate our beliefs as to how this important sector of education, charitable work and business is being affected and to assist us to enquire on behalf of all providers what support could be forthcoming.
We do hope that you will take a few moments to complete this questionnaire and help us to establish the true level of impact.
Questionnaires can be completed electronically or printed and filled out as a hard copy. Whichever you elect to do please can you submit responses not later than 19 June 2020 as requested, using the addresses at the end of the survey.
With very best wishes to you all in these difficult times,
Mike Cross
Chairman of YET