The Retreat
Reuben’s Retreat became the proud owners of what was formerly “Woods Hospital” on the 23rd April 2014. Originally a 21-bedroom ‘cottage’ hospital it was still in operation as recently as 2011 when part of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.
Set in rugged moorland just outside the Peak District, the 1.63 acre site had 2 beautiful but dilapidated buildings which would need extensive renovations to transform it into the charity’s forever home. So we created a 10 Phase renovation plan that would enable us to transform the buildings and grounds as and when funding allowed. Despite being a tiny team and our priority being supporting families in need, we’re proud to have completed 3 of those Phases to date:
The smaller of the two buildings – The Lodge – has been open and operational since late 2015. In 2016 we made The Retreat (the main building) watertight by completely refurbishing the roof and various structural maintenance.
The first half of 2017 was all about readying the spaces for Phases 4, 5 & 6, including stripping the areas back to bricks and timber so we could identify any potential problems and avoid costly delays or issues when the works begin. With the three Phases all situated in one wing we are desperate to undertake the works as one complete project rather than phase by phase because it will be so much more cost effective. And so, since mid-2017 we’ve been working tirelessly on fundraising for and designing, planning and refining every element of Phases 4, 5 and 6, our biggest renovation project to date which will give us our first physically therapeutic spaces and equipment for life-limited children and young people. We’re so excited to share that those works started on 25th March 2019 and are expected to take approximately 30 weeks, so please visit our blog page or Facebook page for regular updates!
As with every area of the charity, our volunteers and supporters have played a crucial role in helping us to transform Reuben’s Retreat into a haven for families, and we’re so grateful to everyone who has donated their time, skills, knowledge or goods or services to us at no or low cost. If you would like to be a part of Reuben’s journey or able to help us with this wonderful project, please get in touch by calling on 01457 680 023 or emailing enquiries@reubensretreat.org.
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SMALL STEPS LEAD TO BIG CHANGE…
Just over 5 weeks into our renovations and the progress is startling! Every day we see a change to the building, whether it’s the unearthing of beautiful brick work that’s been hidden for decades or creating the foundations for new innovations. As of today we have steps in what will be our hydrotherapy pool in…
2nd May
And we’re off!
We are thrilled to announce that on this day, Monday 25th March 2019, the building works began for Phases 4, 5 & 6!!!! It’s such a monumental day in Reuben’s Retreat’s history that I wish we could capture a piece of it in a little jar to share with you! We kicked the project off…
25th March
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Upcoming Events
Our most up-to-date information can be found on our Facebook Events page, but here’s a taster of Reuben’s Retreat’s upcoming activities… 26th May 2019: Reuben’s Retreat does Edinburgh Marathon Festival Fast & flat, this course was voted the fastest marathon in the UK by Runners World, ideal if it’s your first marathon or you are…
REUBall 2019
Following on from the amazing success of REUBall’s move to Bury in 2018, we are delighted to announce we’re returning for our 2019 spectacular and tickets are now on sale! Tickets are £55 per person and are available through our web shop or by calling 01457 680023. We ask for a £15 per person deposit with the balance due…
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