Julia Passmore, organiser for the Association of Friends, tell us how she fell into the role, her favourite visits and what’s in the diary at the moment.
Well, I really fell into it. A job came up in Boots for their visits section, dealing with its employees that go out with the company on different trips. I was offered the position and was told I could do what I wanted with it so it just grew from there.
It was originally the Supervisors Association, then we got to open it to all of the Boots’ staff so it became the Boots Association. When I retired, the group finished shortly afterwards because there was nobody to run it and people became upset as it had been going for about 60 years. So, a colleague and I decided that we could run it from home which is how it became what it’s known as today. Although I retired, I never really stopped.
Group Name: Association of Friends
No. of members: 500
Time organising: 37 years
Based: Nottinghamshire
They really enjoy getting together for a catch up as a lot of them have been together for so many years. You know when you go on holiday, your trip starts from the minute you step onto the coach, rather than it taking a couple of days to meet everybody.
We go to our local theatre quite a lot, which is Theatre Royal in Nottingham, because we get a lot of West End shows, including Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap which first opened here. The Nottingham Playhouse also puts on a lot of good performances so we are very fortunate. The group also love gardens, stately homes, boat trips and steam trains - anything full of nostalgia really.
When I won the Group Travel Organiser of the Year Award® in 2000, I used the prize money to go to South Africa which was fabulous, I took the group along afterwards in 2001, and again in 2010 for those that had never been or wanted to do it again. We had a truly wonderful time, it’s just one of those places you could go back to again and again because each time it’s so different. It’s not just about the animals, but all the colours and the natural beauty of the place.
We’re going to Folkestone, followed by a trip to Lynton in June. Then we’re going on the Condor Ferry to Jersey in August which has been really popular, so we’re all really looking forward to it. In November, we’ve got an overnighter in Blackpool booked which includes a trip to the Tower’s ballroom for high tea and to dance on its dance floor. For the Christmas season, we always go to Thursford Christmas Spectacular and we also have a Turkey and Tinsel trip booked to Eastbourne.
Well, they laugh at me because I always seem to be scribbling and planning ahead. On our last holiday, one of the members said to me that it’s the first time she had realised how much work goes into the trip. She thought I pre-bought the package and had not created the itinerary myself. I think that’s a good thing though because it means the trip has gone smoothly and they have no idea what’s been going on in the background.
“We absolutely adore Whitby because there’s something for everybody. You’ve got the history of the docks to explore, you can eat at the gourmet Magpie Café, which serves delicious fish and chips, and you can walk down lovely little nooks and crannies with hidden shops. The Abbey, which inspired Dracula, is also brilliant.”
It’s just giving people pleasure. We’ve got a lot of people that have either never been married or have lost their partners so some of them would never go anywhere if it wasn’t for these trips. They are all friends, like part of a big family, and we all look after each other. It’s just really satisfying to see the pleasure in everybody’s face. At the end of the day, they are so grateful for what you do, they say lovely things and really appreciate your work.
GTO Allison Udy on the uniqueness of her group and how a coach driver can make or break a trip.
Andrea Golder on 45 years of taking groups around the world, how she comes up with new ideas, what her ‘musts’ are, and where’s still left on the bucket list.
GTO Derek Hoskins, Solihull U3A, tells us how he ensures best value for money for his members and what makes all the hard work worthwhile.
What GTO Lin Wilson doesn’t know about group organising isn’t worth knowing. Having celebrated 31 years, we caught up with her to find out why she still loves what she does.
