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Why we are doing this and a huge thank you!

First off, thank you so much to everyone who supported our prize draw either by donating prizes or buying tickets. We raised over £400 from it so thank you again especially to our prize donors:

Last Thursday I got the chance to see what a difference the money so far is making to Reuben's Retreat with a tour round with the effervescent Becca. It really brought it home to me just what valuable work the charity carry out and the passion the team have for making a difference is overwhelming. From its beginnings in Nic's (Reuben's mummy) spare room, they now have a site on an old hospital once famous for being the place where L. S. Lowry saw out his final days. The Lodge is the completed part of the development where there are offices, a therapy room and a versatile open space where animal therapy classes, music therapy sessions, coffee and chat meetups and all sorts of other activities take place, all with the aim of making life a little brighter for either children with life limiting conditions and their families or those families who have tragically been bereaved. They are open to people from anywhere and at any stage in their journey on a difficult path. The centre is so welcoming and homely and very smartly kitted out in boutique hotel style furnishings thanks to the generosity of local and national companies. They currently have one apartment available for families to book into for a break, whether it be to make some lasting memories in the Peak District or for respite (they mentioned a family who spent a Christmas there as they could not bear to be at home following the loss of their little one). They have a team of trained staff and volunteers to help and you could not wish for a more perfect retreat. 

Becca showed us round some of the rest of the site which is to provide more accessible apartments and spaces for play and memory-making. They hope to have the first 'wing' open soon if they can and will start on the next phase once they have the funds to complete the building. The support for children and their families comes first so funding has to be prioritised. We saw what will be a fantastic play space and a room for children to explore their creative side and I was struck by the focus on accessibility. For many children and particularly those who are older or young adults, there are many barriers to the activities we take for granted. Did you know that between Sheffield and the Trafford Centre there are no changing places for adults or larger children? That means if you are caring for a person who needs help with those kinds of things you have to plan your day around that and often resort to changing on floors etc. Reuben's Retreat will provide an adult changing place which is fully track and hoist enabled which will be able to be used by people passing who need that. The hoist and track system helps children to do some of the things we take for granted like soft play as well as to take them from the changing area to the brand new (not yet used) hydrotherapy pool. Nic has a tremendous eye for detail and the small pool is tiled like a Victorian baths and you could definitely imagine a nice relaxing afternoon in there! There's more to it for the families though as for some due to the conditions their children face, it is the only chance for them to have a proper hug thanks to the water taking the weight. Can you imagine not being able to have a hug because of your condition? The whole place has a feeling of calm and almost luxury - it is a treat to be there rather than a room in an old building you've been given. It'll be fantastic for families once complete. 

Reuben is the reason all this exists and he has his mark around the building. There's a detail in the wall with his Duplo bricks mixed with his brother's Lego bricks and letter R tiles, the bird feeders (he loved 'birdies') and the coasters on the table in the lodge are letter R Scrabble tiles. It's important to Nic that he's felt there. It was a real privilege to meet her especially after having a look round and seeing her vision come to life. As Becca said, the whole project and place came about out of tragedy but they are such a positive bunch of people. It's certainly going to help me on the trek when I think about the wonderful work your donations are funding and what people are going through in their lives. 

So thank you again for your support. I appreciate your encouragement for my challenge but more importantly your support for this amazing charity. 

What's next for me and Edward? Well, Edward and his partner Ann are currently on a mission to climb a selection of the old (1964) county tops that together make up the height of Mount Everest (29,032ft) to raise sponsorship funds and get in shape for the trek. Apparently Norfolk's was a breeze but as they get round to Cumbria and Yorkshire it is going to be getting tough. We will update you with their progress on the next blog but below is a map of them. Of course if you would like to support them then our fundraising page is open for business as always:

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BHEveRRestBaseCampTrek. 

Thanks again - we really mean it. 

Vicki

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