January is now a distant memory but what a month for charity Reuben’s Retreat. With the start of 2019 seeing a 133 per cent increase in the number of families reaching out for support compared to January 2018, Reuben’s Retreat has set the wheels in motion for the next ambitious stage of its development.
Interviews have taken place for a construction partner to carry out the work to complete phases four, five and six at the Retreat, with building work expected to begin in the Spring. The three phases, which are part of a 10 phase, multi-million pound project, will include a hydro suite, a sensory play and movie room, offices and fully accessible changing facilities. A full announcement of the charity’s chosen construction partner will be made soon.
The charity also launched its Mission123 on 1st February as a Spring FUNraising campaign, asking people to form a team and start the challenge with a pound for every month of Reuben’s life (£23). The only rules during the following 123 days are to do something fun and to try and turn that into a bigger amount for the charity (via safe and legal activities!)
Reuben’s Retreat was set up by Nicola Graham following the sad loss of her son. Reuben was just 23 months old when he fell ill while on a family holiday to Devon in 2012. A trip to A&E revealed a rare and aggressive brain tumour and he passed away a week later in his mother’s arms.
The charity bought the old Wood’s Hospital in Glossop in 2014, taking on the massive challenge of renovating it from near dereliction to become Reuben’s Retreat, a place where families can relax, recharge, remember and rebuild.
The charity has already helped over 650 people and is being contacted by many new families each week, either directly or through health professional referrals. Families may have lost a child or have one or more children with serious complex needs or a life threatening or limiting illness.
Nicola Graham, Reuben’s mummy, said: “Things are always busy, but it saddens our hearts when the demand for our support services spike, because that means there are more families facing the most heart-breaking of times. We want to do everything that we possibly can to help these families, and that is why it’s so exciting that the next phase of the development is about to begin. I can’t believe how far we’ve come already, but there are still so many more families out there who need us, which is why the fundraising and the work our amazing volunteers do for us is so important. All the work we do is paid for by fundraising, we receive no statutory funding – so we value every single penny we receive and spend a great deal of time making sure it’s spent wisely so we’re getting value for money and providing the services and support so desperately needed.”
Challenge23 is an ongoing fundraiser – offering people the chance to buy raffle tickets for £5, to be in with the chance to win one of 23 prizes. The star prize is a holiday, courtesy of Manchester Airport as part of its 80th birthday celebrations, to the value of £2,300. Tickets are available until 3rd May 2019.
Reuben’s Retreat is also gathering a team of runners to take part in the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 2019. The Run has recently worked with well-known Manchester faces to create a new film showcasing the inspirational poem, Do Something, by renowned Mancunian poet Tony Walsh. The film sees the poem’s poignant words spoken by actors, influencers and runners, and includes Reuben’s Retreat patron, TV star Julie Hesmondhalgh.
To find out more information, to get involved, or to ask for support, log on to www.reubensretreat.org or follow Reuben’s Retreat on Facebook or Twitter.
