This week marks a deeply sad anniversary, the tenth anniversary of my little constituent Reuben Graham, aged just 23 months.  Reuben, from Longdendale, was a smiley wee boy who loved rainbows, sunflowers, and sausage and mash, until the unthinkable struck suddenly on a family holiday in the form of an aggressive brain tumour that tragically took him away from his Mummy Nicola, Daddy Mike and brother, Isaac.

Many families would have been blindsided and derailed by such an unexpected and painful loss of a much longed for and loved child. I don’t doubt for a second that in the days and years following Reuben’s loss, the Grahams went to hell and back. But out of their grief they also built something incredible, something that brought hope and purpose in the darkness, and something that has gone on to mean the world to many families in Tameside and beyond.

Just two days after Reuben’s heart-breaking death, Reuben’s Retreat was born, with the view to creating a wonderful place of sanctuary in his name, along with a swathe of services that could support families with poorly children through the most difficult of times, enrich lives, make magical memories and provide much needed counselling and bereavement support.

They set themselves a mission to raise their first million within 23 months, and to my astonishment, they absolutely smashed this ambitious target, bake sale by bake sale, marathon by marathon, finding increasingly inventive ways to put the fun into fundraising. They were then able to buy their forever home, a former cottage hospital in Glossop, and have spent the interim years redeveloping the site whilst supporting families in wonderful ways, including therapies, fun days, respite weekends, support for dads, and much, much more. Incredibly, in just a decade Reuben’s Retreat has now supported over 1600 people.

I happen to know a couple of the families who have accessed their loving and judgement-free support, and can say with some certainty that Reuben’s Retreat has saved lives as well as enriched them over the last few years, simply by being there when families in unimaginable circumstances need them the most.

With supporters including Dawn French, Jodie Whittaker, Vernon Kaye, Rose Asling-Ellis, Bradley Walsh, and their amazing local patrons Julie Hesmondalgh and Ian Kershaw, Reuben’s story has touched many people. His mum Nicola’s energy, drive and vision has inspired an absolute army of supporters upon whose time and energy Reuben’s Retreat has been built. Thank you, each of you.

Not many toddlers change the world, but Reuben Michael Graham did just that. If you’re able to support this magical charity in any way as they continue their journey, please do.