Fun raising funds
Pauline Johnson, GTO and founder of the Hinckley Social Theatre and Travel Club in the Midlands, combines group travel with fundraising and, over the years, has raised more than £30,000 for local charities, as she reveals to Carrie Drage.
After nearly 27 years of organising trips for the Hinckley Social Theatre and Travel Club, in the Midlands, Pauline Johnson has fond memories of her time as a GTO. She explains, “Before I retired six years ago, I worked for HSBC (formerly Midland Bank) and I originally set up the Club to provide theatre trips for employees and retired staff from three local branches – Bedworth, Nuneaton and Hinckley – although it was never an official sports and social club. Fairly early on it became clear that there were a number of people who were neither retired staff nor bank employees, but who were interested in joining, so the name was changed from the Hinckley Staff Theatre Trippers to Hinckley Social Theatre and Travel Club and other day trips and longer breaks were incorporated.”
The Club now has in excess of 300 members who pay an annual membership fee of £3, £1 of which is immediately contributed towards a charity fund. In addition to a schedule of more than 20 day trips, weekend breaks and holidays, both in the UK and further afield, the club also hosts an annual social meet in November, when it presents its fundraising money to charity. Pauline reveals, “We choose two or three local charities to support each year and we invite representatives from each charity along to our presentation evening, which is when we hand over the cheques.” She continues, “We raise cash in a number of ways. As well as through membership fees, we also hold raffles on the coaches and various events. We’ve raised more than £30,000 for various charities over the years!”
Inspiring ideas
Pauline advertises her trips once a year in a newsletter, which is distributed to members in November with a booking form for all UK trips that coming year. She reveals, “The tour operators we use for overseas trips also produce flyers featuring a full itinerary and booking form. Once I have approved this, I also mail it out to my members.”
When it comes to finding inspiration for her many trips, Pauline has a number of different sources. She says, “I always look for ideas in publications produced by the RHS, The National Trust and English Heritage, as well as GTO magazine. I also come across places on personal trips, which I think might interest the members.” She continues, “I find familiarisation trips extremely useful and often end up booking trips to places that I would never have dreamed of visiting before.”
Exploring Europe
The popularity of European trips has grown enormously among members of the Hinckley Social Theatre and Travel Club and Pauline now organises four or five overseas trips annually.
A large number of Pauline’s European trips are arranged through Wiltshire-based Success Tours. She says, “We have never had a bad holiday with Success Tours. When it comes to arranging hotels, they know exactly what we like.” She explains, “In 2003, 45 of us stayed at the Hotel River, which is situated on the banks of the Arno River in Florence, Italy. The reception staff were wonderful throughout our four days.”
She continues, “The following year, I took a group of 17 people on a four-day trip to Prague, in the Czech Republic, where we stayed at the Bellagio Hotel. The location was superb on the edge of the Old Town and only a street back from the River Vltava.”
Equally memorable was the seven-day trip to Italy’s Lake Garda in May last year. Pauline says, “For this trip, Success Tours put me in touch with Alan Brett, GTO for Brettie Tours, who had been to the Grand Hotel Gardone where we were due to stay.” She adds, “All 34 of us got a lakeview room and the service was five-star, despite the venue being described as a four-star hotel.” She adds, “On one of the days we visited the Arena of Verona where open air operas are staged. My members were so impressed with the venue that we are returning in July to watch Aida.”
The company also arranged a week-long holiday to Ireland for 48 of the members last September. Pauline reveals, “We visited several places including Dublin, Galway and Waterford; however, our favourite spot was Killarney because it was just so beautiful.” She reveals, “Although the group enjoyed the holiday enormously, I feel that if I were to repeat the trip, I would stay in one place for longer. There was a lot of touring involved and with the group getting older, I feel it would be better to take things at a more relaxing pace in future.”
Another firm that Pauline uses for her trips is Norman Allen Group Travel, based in Herefordshire. A particularly eventful trip took place last October when 21 members visited Montreaux, in Switzerland, for seven days. Pauline explains, “Two of our members ended up in hospital – one with a broken leg and the other with breathing difficulties. Fortunately, the tour operator took care of the situation for me and I was able to continue with my group.” Despite this setback, the group had a wonderful time. She says, “The best part was travelling on the Golden Pass Panorama Express train between Gstaad and Montreux. The views of the mountains were magnificent.”
Long-haul holidays
In each issue of the newsletter, Pauline includes a questionnaire to monitor the group’s preferences regarding trips. She explains, “Many of my members don’t like to do long-haul holidays as a group, which is why we tend to stick to European trips.” In spite of this, Pauline organised a successful 23-day holiday to New Zealand in February for 17 of her members. The trip was organised by Collette Worldwide Holidays, in Middlesex, and also took in Hong Kong for two nights and Los Angeles overnight. She says, “I really enjoyed the Lord of the Rings film locations tour on the South Island and the North Island was great for its Maori culture.”
Pauline has a second long-haul holiday planned for 2009 when 21 of her members will be visiting China for 15 days. She reveals, “Success Tours are organising the trip for us. It will also be a first for the Club in the sense that we will be linking up with another group for the holiday.” She continues, “I sit on the committee of the Central Branch of the GTOA and on a recent familiarisation trip I met Julia Passmore, another GTOA member, who organises for the Association of Friends, in Nottingham. She was also planning a trip to China but, likewise, couldn’t get the minimum number together. We now have a total of 46 people between us and Success Tours have put together a wonderful package.” She adds, “The GTOA is great for networking with like-minded organisers and representatives of the trade associate members. Some of my best trips were borne out of GTOA functions.”
Day tripping
Pauline organises roughly a dozen day trips in the space of a year and has used various local coach firms for transport over her time with the Club; however, for the past five years, she has opted for Hinckley-based Robinson’s. She says, “The firm offers good-quality coaches and excellent drivers at a reasonable price.”
Pauline’s members are still keen theatregoers and she organises roughly five theatre trips to London’s West End annually. Over the years, the group have visited productions such as The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Evita and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Tickets are purchased through London-based ticketing agencies See Tickets and Group Line, as well as the groups department of theatre operator Delfont Mackintosh. Pauline explains, “Many of my members are retired so where possible I opt for tickets in periods where there are special group discounts.”
Pauline always likes to organise a festive outing for the group and last year, two coachloads of members visited Shugborough, the National Trust estate in Staffordshire. “I arranged the visit directly with the attraction. We had a candlelit tour of Shugborough Hall and there was also a craft fair where we picked up some great Christmas gifts,” she explains.
Shopping trips are also popular and past years have seen the group visiting McArthurGlen’s Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet, The Trafford Centre near Manchester and Christmas markets in Lincoln, Manchester and Worcester. She reveals, “In 2005, I took a group of 80 people to The Lowry Outlet Mall, near Manchester. It was great because there’s so much to do there besides shop. For instance, some of the members arranged a guided tour of The Lowry theatre and others visited the Imperial War Museum North.”
Another regular for the group are the visits to Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery shops. She says, “We go twice a year – once in January for the sales and another in October for Christmas shopping. It’s great fun !”
Gardens are always a popular addition to the programme and one trip that stands out for Pauline is the visit by 25 members in April to Prince Charles’ garden at Highgrove, in Gloucestershire, after a three-year wait. She says, “We came away with so many ideas that we would like to try on a smaller scale in our own gardens.”
Similarly popular are the trips to National Trust and English Heritage properties because many of the members also belong to these organisations, which allows them free entry. Only last month, 37 members took a trip to The National Trust’s The Workhouse, in Nottinghamshire. Pauline says, “I find these organisations always provide a good service for groups.”
Stopping the night
In a year, Pauline organises at least four overnight UK breaks herself. The very first overnight break organised for the group was to London in November 1991 and this trip remains as popular today as it was 17 years ago. Pauline reminisces, “For the London overnight trip about 95 percent of the people who came on the very first trip in 1991 return every year, which is fantastic.” She continues, “We normally take at least two coachloads of members and stay at the Crowne Plaza St James; however, for the first 12 years we stayed at St Ermins Hotel. I used to book the accommodation myself but last year I arranged for Success Tours to book the rooms for me, which I will continue to do from now on.”
Another popular destination for the group is Scotland. In 2001, 30 of the members enjoyed a four-day break at Maitlandfield House Hotel, near Edinburgh and this provided inspiration for a trip to Cumbria. Pauline explains, “On the way to the Maitlandfield House Hotel we stopped for lunch at the White Water Hotel and Leisure Club, in Cumbria, and we were so impressed with the food and the ambience that I booked a four-day break at the Hotel for 25 people the following year.” She adds, “A highlight of that trip was a cruise aboard the steamship Gondola on Coniston Water.”
Putting pen to paper
After 27 years as a GTO, Pauline has countless memories to share with others and has even penned the first chapter of a book outlining her experiences. She says, “It is being written at the suggestion of one of my members as a way of raising more funds for our local charities.”
Looking to the future, Pauline has a varied programme of trips lined up for her group. Foreign trips feature heavily in the programme with breaks to Italy, China, Oberammergau, Slovenia and Croatia already on the calendar for 2008 and into 2009.
Similarly, Pauline has a large number of UK trips planned for 2008 including day trips to Eltham Palace in London and the Shrewsbury Flower Show in Shropshire and overnight breaks in London and the Lake District.
Looking back over her period as a GTO Pauline concludes, “We have had some terrific fun over the years and I can only hope it continues!”