A LOCAL charity gave 30 families a special early Easter treat inspired by a classic Lewis Carroll tale.
Reuben’s Retreat held a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party recently, inviting families of children with medical complexities to take part in fun and games with the theme of Alice in Wonderland.
Party-goers were treated to a magical world of wonder and surprise at The Village Hotel in Ashton-under-Lyne.
Alice and the Mad Hatter himself were in attendance, along with local amateur dramatics group ‘The Drama Department’ who entertained families with a selection of themed songs and entertainment.
Keeping the fun going was dancing, face painting, games, Easter eggs, crafts, activities and sensory areas.
Accessibility was of the utmost importance so a mobile toilet was hired – funded by The Village Hotel through its Village Green initiative. The AccessoLOO provided meant the event could have a fully tracked and hoisted accessible toilet on site so families could have access to facilities best suited to their needs.
Nicola Graham, founder of Reuben’s Retreat, said: “It’s been wonderful to bring Easter forward a little and share this event with some of our very special families who have children with medical complexities.
“We often hold events at our Retreat, but having them off-site in a wonderful venue like the Village Hotel Ashton enables us to host more families all together.
“This gives them the opportunity to make happy memories, in a fully inclusive space and to meet other families in similar circumstances, which is so important.
“We’re so grateful to all the kind hearts who helped to make this happen.”
David Delaney, General Manager at The Village Hotel, added: “It was our absolute pleasure to host the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party for Reuben’s Retreat, and seeing so many happy, smiling faces at the event was truly heart-warming.”
Reuben’s Retreat was founded in August 2012 following the tragic passing of 23-month old Reuben Michael Graham, from an extremely rare brain tumour.
The charity, based in Glossop, supports families with complexly poorly children and families of child loss.