Organising a trip away

Ipswich Outdoor Group members typically organise many trips away each year. This guide is designed to provide advice for new trip organisers. If you have any specific questions about organising a trip that are not covered here please contact the Committee for further advice.

Organisers role

Organisers of trips away are all volunteers, they are not getting paid – this should always be kept in mind.

Planning

An organiser should research and plan the trip. This could include an exclusive hire of a large property, a stay in a Youth Hostel (either alongside other guests or under an exclusive hire arrangement), or a backpacking trip (staying in multiple types of accommodation along a route).
Before proceeding with organising a trip, the organiser should check that no other trips are planned for the projected dates. This can be done by consulting the Programme Editor or the online calendar.
While making the initial plans for the trip, the organiser should approach another member to act as Booking Buddy. They should be named within the initial group email and should be available to attend the trip being offered. The role of the Booking buddy is to:
- act as deputy;
- be consulted on any particularly difficult logistical issues associated with the accommodation/booking/catering arrangements;
- be prepared to step in to assume leadership of the trip, accommodation liaison or booking arrangements should the trip organiser be unable to participate.

Working out how much to charge

Deposit. Whilst researching the trip, the organiser will have been informed by the accommodation host of the total cost of the hire as well as the amount of deposit. The dates that the deposit and full balance are due should be obtained and noted. When the amount of the deposit is known, it should be divided by the number of expected participants. This gives you the amount per head to request from participants.
Balance. Organisers are advised to take a pessimistic view and assume the accommodation will be under occupied and calculate costs based on this. What this means is, if you have a property that will take 24 people, work on the assumption that you will get 22. Work out the total cost of the trip using these reduced numbers. If maximum occupancy is achieved, you can then reduce the final balance due. Members generally don’t mind paying less for the trip.

Initial email to group members

The trip organiser should gauge interest by sending a group email outlining what is being offered: date, location, type of accommodation, optimum (or maximum) numbers, and predicted costs. Members should be made aware that trips can fill up very quickly and they should email the trip organiser as soon as they see an email if they are interested.
It should be noted in the email the amount of the deposit and that payment would be due straight away.
Include that all participants of the trip must be fully paid-up members of the group for IOG Civil Liability Insurance purposes. Consult with the Membership Secretary to ensure that this is the case, at the time of booking and if membership renewals occur again before the trip.
Remind members that the IOG Civil Liability Insurance does not replace the need for participants own personal travel insurance.
Single occupancy rooms. A premium should be considered for any rooms that will have under occupancy for participants that may wish to have a room to themselves. However, this should not be guaranteed in the initial email unless the room layout suggests a need for this. The smallest room should usually be offered, to best utilise the space available.

Second email to group members

When the required number of people has been reached, inform the group that the trip is full.
Let members know that if they were not successful, their names will be added to a waiting list. Also inform members that if anyone else is interested in the trip, they should email the organiser to be added to the waiting list.

Trip email mailing list

The organiser should make up a trip email mailing list including all participants and use this to keep them in the loop. This should be updated in the run up to the trip if there are any changes.
Once the trip organiser has managed to fill the trip with the optimum number of participants, they should send an email to those that are successful and let them know they have a place on the trip. The deposit of the trip should be requested straight away.
Shared rooms. Ask participants who are not in a couple if there are particular people they would like to share a room with. This should be noted and participants informed if there are any issues. Otherwise, participants should be matched up by the trip organiser into same sex rooms.
Catering arrangements. Let participants know what the expected catering arrangements are likely to be during the trip. It usually works best for participants to make their own arrangements for the first night, due to people arriving at different times.
Ask for volunteers to help with group catering. Organisers should ask trip participants in the initial email if they would be willing to help to co-ordinate one of the self-catered meals or part of a meal during the trip i.e. the meat dish, the vegetarian dish or the dessert. A note should be made of these volunteers.
Meals out. It is usual that at least one group meal will be organised during the trip at a local pub. Ask if there are any volunteers who would like to co-ordinate this. This will usually include the need to pre-order and sometimes pay a deposit per head in advance to the venue.
Ask participants about dietary requirements to ensure that they can be fulfilled during the trip.
Ask participants for volunteers to lead walks or to arrange any other activities.
Remind participants of expected weather conditions for the time of year and the kit required etc. A link to the Kit List on the IOG website is useful.
Ask participants to organise their own transport, communicating their requirements via the trip mailing list if needed. Remind them to car share. Parking at a lot of properties can be at a premium. If a participant plans to drive to a trip alone, there could be a chance that they would need to research their own parking away from the main property. Let participants know if there are local public transport options available.
All trip participants should ensure that they have read and understood the most recent version of Walking/Cycling Best Practice Guidance as applicable before the trip. This is published on the IOG website. This forms part of the groups Risk Assessment process. A hard copy will be available during the trip for reference.

Finances

This is a very important part of the trip and advice is available from the Committee or other previous trip organisers if needed. Do not be afraid to ask for advice if you wish to organise a trip.

The following generally covers the exclusive hire of a large property.

Paying the deposit

The organiser should provide bank details to participants for payment of the deposit and a deadline for when this needs to be paid.
Accommodation hosts (owner/manager of the property) will generally understand the difficulty in obtaining deposits and give you a week or more to collect the money while holding your reservation. Make it clear to participants in advance that this sum is non-refundable i.e. if they change their mind, they won’t get the deposit back.
Accommodation hosts (owner/manager of the property) will generally understand the difficulty in obtaining deposits and give you a week or more to collect the money while holding your reservation. Make it clear to participants in advance that this sum is non-refundable i.e. if they change their mind, they won’t get the deposit back.
It should be made clear at this stage that they are liable to pay their balance when it is due. If they did need to drop out, it would be their responsibility to fill the place on the trip in consultation with the trip organiser.
DO NOT pay anything on behalf of any member who hasn’t let the trip organiser have their money. It’s the trip organiser’s responsibility to obtain deposits/full balances from participants before the money is due to be paid. The IOG is not responsible in any way for any shortfall. Trip organisers should ensure that they keep careful records.

Single occupancy of larger rooms

Some members may want a room to themselves. Single occupancy of larger rooms should only be offered if the trip is not likely to fill up completely to the maximum occupancy, and if the accommodation allows for this. Organisers should aim to use the smallest rooms for single occupancy, to best utilise the accommodation available.
Organisers might be inclined to charge DOUBLE if someone wants a room to themselves. We generally advise against this. The price that a trip member is charged is not solely for their overnight accommodation/room. It often includes use of a shared kitchen/dining area, social spaces, drying rooms, access to outside space, car parking etc. Charging double the trip price for a single occupancy room can be disproportionate.
It is therefore recommended that single occupancy rooms be costed at a higher charge (say 25-50% more) or a premium of a fixed additional cost per night (for example £10). It is for the organiser to determine an appropriate charge based on the accommodation being offered. Some properties may require higher additional charges than those noted here. If advice in needed on this element, feel free to contact the Committee or a previous trip organiser.
Single occupancy charges should be transparent to all participants of the trip. Those sharing a room with other participants should not be charged more for their accommodation than the maximum included within the original email.
Try not to over complicate things. The simpler the costing arrangements, the easier it will be to change things around in case of any dropouts nearer to the trip.

Collecting balances

The organiser should email participants to collect the balance for the trip 6-8 weeks before the balance is due. Give participants two weeks to pay their balance. This will allow time for the organiser to fill any places if there are any dropouts.
If anyone does need to drop out of the trip, they should try to fill it in consultation with the organiser. The organiser will contact the waiting list to let them know there is a place available. If nobody on the waiting list wishes to take the place, it is not the trip organisers responsibility to fill it.
If the place cannot be filled from the waiting list, the dropout will need to email the group and ask if anyone would like to take their place. If the place isn’t filled by the time the balance is due, the dropout will need to pay the balance. Remind the dropout that they can continue to try to sell their place to another member, who would then pay the dropout directly. The dropout should continue to consult with the organiser and let them know once another member has taken their place.
An amount per head should be determined to cover communal catering such as breakfast, bread for packed lunches, the self-catered evening meals and tea/coffee etc. Advice on costings for this can be obtained from the Committee or previous trip organisers. This should be collected with the balance if practical or otherwise closer to the trip.

Catering during trips

Organisers should compile a list of everyone who has volunteered to be responsible for or assist with meals on the trip.
Trip organisers may wish to appoint a catering co-ordinator for the trip. The catering co-ordinator would communicate with those that have volunteered to prepare a meal or part of a meal during the trip. They should also gather information regarding dietary requirements from the participants on the trip.
The IOG has some group catering equipment available for trips. There is also likely to be leftover tea/coffee etc from previous trips. This has become known as ‘The Breakfast Box’ and the previous trip organiser will usually have it. The Committee should be able to tell you who this is. The breakfast box also includes group Hi-vis jackets for use if needed during the trip.
There is a notebook in the Breakfast box that contains tried and tested group recipes. It is best to try to keep catering as straight forward as possible, adding in or taking out ingredients as much as possible to cater for dietary requirements.
When the contents of the breakfast box are known, the shopping list for the trip can be compiled taking this into account. If a supermarket delivery is being organised, ensure that a delivery slot is booked at the earliest possible time. This is usually three weeks before, but this may be earlier at holiday times such as Easter and Christmas/New Year.
Trip organisers or the catering co-ordinator should arrange for the breakfast box to be transported to the trip. If needed, ask a trip member to transport it.

Other things to consider

Closer to the trip, consider setting up a WhatsApp group to communicate before and during the trip. Tell participants this is optional. If a participant wishes to be included, it is their responsibility to ensure that the organiser has their phone number.
Trip organisers should obtain a list of Emergency Contact Details from all participants in advance of the trip.
Organise a time for a briefing for all participants for the first night of the trip. This will ensure that all participants know any safety information needed for the trip. Information regarding the property can also be passed on at this briefing.
IMPORTANT Unless the layout of the rooms is known in advance, rooms should be allocated by the organiser upon arrival. Organisers should NOT allow participants to go to the rooms until they have been allocated. This is to ensure that we make best use of the space available.

Taking a group to a YHA Hostel

Trip organisers may wish to book groups into a YHA Hostel. These would generally be shared single sex dorm rooms. If participants wish to book alternative, private rooms, within the Hostel, they should book these rooms themselves. If an organiser needs further advice regarding YHA bookings, the Committee would be happy to help.

Groups of 16 and more

If you have 16 or more participants, you will need to do a group booking via the YHA Group Booking service. Details are on the YHA website. However, it may be beneficial to make two separate bookings of less than 16 people, as per below.
When making a YHA group booking, a deposit will be paid to secure the booking. The balance will be due nearer to the trip.

Groups of less than 16

Discount is available for YHA members. If the trip organiser is not already a YHA member, consider joining. Otherwise, if another participant on the trip is a YHA member, consider asking them to make the booking. The person making the booking must be on the trip.
Bookings can be made via the YHA website and needs to be paid for at the time of booking.

Exclusive hire of a YHA

YHA members receive discount when booking an exclusive hire of a hostel. These bookings can be made via the YHA website. The Hostel would be unmanned, and the person making the booking must be on the trip. They will be expected to liaise with the Hostel in the run up to the trip. Therefore, ideally be the trip organiser should be the person making the booking.
When booking a YHA exclusive hire, a deposit will be paid to secure the booking. The balance will be due nearer to the trip.

Multi-day backpacking trips

Trip organisers may wish to organise a multi-day backpacking trip, walking from place to place. These are a specialist type of trip and organising these can become very complicated.

If organisers haven’t organised one before, or they are unsure how to go about it, they should contact the Committee or past organisers for advice.

Consider keeping numbers lower than other trips, of say around 8-10 people.
It is likely that the organiser will need to collect all balances for the accommodation upfront. Relevant accommodation is likely to be popular and book up quickly so should be secured straight away.