It is with much sadness that today we learned that the Culture-all Passport owned and run by Hampshire County Council has been discontinued. For a yearly outlay of £75, 2 adults and 2 children would have 12 months access to Aldershot Military Museum, Basing House, Bursledon Windmill, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Manor Farm, Milestones, Rockbourne Roman Villa, Staunton Country Park, and Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve.
We’ve had a Culture-all Passport for the past 6 years, and religiously renewed it. Our pattern of usage has been one visit a year to the further-away attractions such as Aldershot Military Museum, with most of our visits being to Staunton Country Park.
The key benefit of the Culture-all Passport is the variety of attractions that are available. I think we all understand that budgets are reducing and cuts have to be made to public services, the knock on effect will be that those that did pay for Culture-all Passport will be unlikely take the alternative, which is to sign up for a yearly pass at each different venue.
On a visit to Staunton we’d spend approximately £10 at the cafe, plus a few bits in the shop. A single day entry for our family to Staunton Farm will now be £24.50, plus that cafe cost, so £35. I can assure everyone this is just not going to happen when alternative value can be found doing something else that lasts longer than a few hours. A full day out at Paulton’s Park is almost three times the cost, but when you compare the two, which is the better alternative value?
And where can alternative value be found? Family passes for many different attractions can be found on-line, we grabbed a Year’s Family Pass to Portsmouth Dockyard for just £39.00 and spending those good old Tesco Clubcard Vouchers and Nectar Points is top of the pops for getting a cheap day out. A Saturday morning trip to the cinema is popular with our children and priced from £1.75 per person it’s much better alternative value. Deal sites such as Groupon also provide better alternative value, and discount/voucher websites like UKHotDeals often have days out, and even holidays, at bargain bucket prices.
As I mentioned before, Hampshire County Council need to make cuts – but so do tax paying and rate paying residents of Hampshire and this change is very unwelcome in this household. Rather than cancel the Culture-all Passport I would have preferred to seen a slow price rise, or allow renewals for existing card holders only.
So what have others got to say about the change, here is the feedback from the Hampshire County Council’s Facebook page:
I don’t think this is going to help your venues at all. I personally will not be buying a membership for one place as we liked the fact that the passport allows us to try lots of different places. I am afraid instead we will be exploring the options that are offered for free in our area — HA
I agree as a large family it was perfect for us to visit different places at weekends, the children would soon get bored just visiting the same country park all the time. I think this is a great shame and was affordable, having to be a member for different places would be too expensive — SB
Such a mistake, feel so disappointed. I think the only hampshire attraction we will now be visiting is royal vic as the others just aren’t worth the money as we have been there so many times before. Play parks and forestry commission sites will now be our main weekend trips — BM
Well I for one won’t be buying a pass for either of the venues in future. The benefit of culture all was it’s flexibility to use anywhere and the savings it afforded us a family to enjoy numerous days out! Bad move Hampshire! — MV
Plus many many more people saying the same thing.
There are still a few days left to purchase a Culture-all Passport … that is assuming you’ve read this before the 9th of January 2015. Our Passport expires in the summer and as the Culture-all Passport scheme finishes on 24th March 2015 we’d be throwing away 4 months of money. So the £75 plus £10 for an additional child, plus all the money spent at the various cafes, will be spent elsewhere.
We’ve got a guide coming up later this year on the free play parks around the Waterlooville, Cowplain, Clanfield and Denmead areas. Although not a direct substitute, our children will be happy and that’s every parent’s main requirement for having a successful day out.
If you have a comment about this change, please make it to this website and we’ll be sure to pass it on to the powers-that-be.
Thanks for sharing this, very disappointing. It’s not been very well publicised, glad I saw this as I was going to buy another one this month & would have missed out. Agree they will loose business longer term, a real shame…..
Agreed Jaime! We do understand that these ‘attractions’ need to stand on their own two feet and be financially viable but we think this route will end up with some of the attractions either being closed, sold off, or slimmed down.
Hi Dionne – Culture all Passport is ALL of the Hampshire CC attractions for about £20 extra.
Tracey – There’s just 1 year available now according to the website, though some of the outlets are still giving the extra months. It’s a bit of a mess what with their internet ordering system going offline during the Christmas period.
Silly question does this affect the Staunton yearly pass? Sorry just never heard of the Culture all Passport?
If you buy one before Jan the 9th it will expire in March 2016, as you get three months free, so might be worth thinking about now!!
You seen this Nikki?
Can’t you still get the Staunton pass? I have this and think it was £22.
– fair enough it is annoying this has been cut but there are things the council provide that are much more important and with the millions they have to cut this seems like one of the luxuries we will just have to do without!
Donna I’m not aware of any changes to the staunton only pass.
Thank you for help..
yes you do need to go to staunton or qecp be be assured of the extra months.. also its april 2016 now.. def need to go into a park.. come into qecp on Monday I will give you all the up to date info!
this is the post from the culture all facebook page saying the promotion is valid until 9th jan
Thank you Liz – those goal posts are moving as the shop website said something quite different a little earlier today.
I hadn’t heard of this pass before, shame as it sounds handy to have
Great post, thanks for the info.
Is anyone available to talk to the Portsmouth News regarding the closure of the Culture-All Passport Scheme? Please call Elise Brewerton on 023 9249 2444 ASAP.
Kerry Goodwin
Please sign this petition:
Have a look at this facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1535649566691274/
And watch BBC South Today on Monday 19th Jan!
Signed a day or so ago and watched the South Today story. Well done everyone involved :)
We are absolutely gutted that they are withdrawing the pass. Ours runs out next month and I had no idea they were stopping it, despite being on their email list. We reguarly go to Staunton and recently bought our guinea pigs there. We visit Milestones a couple of times a year and always book extra activities during their lego event, but won’t be able to this year. We go to Manor Farm every Christmas and always purchase items form their stall holders, their shop and cafe. My children were incredibly saddened by the news. We simply can’t afford passes to each place. A sad, sad day.
Why did Hants CC not inform those with culture passports that the scheme was ending so that we could purchase another for 2015. My wife and I live on a pension and this was the only way for to afford to take the grandchildren for days out. Not was it just enjoyable but there was so much for the children to learn whilst they were having fun…and learn they did! For a county that wastes so much money on freebies to council staff and their families I think this is a completely crass move on their behalf. They will all hopefully be remembered the next time they want us to vote for them!