A Bishop Auckland travel agent has completed a 5K charity run in Blackpool, helping to raise nearly £4,000 for a retreat supporting families affected by child loss, writes volunteer community reporter, Carla Krenzke.
If you ever wanted to book a holiday at a local travel business in Bishop Auckland, you may have come across “Jill – The Holiday Village”. This year, the owner of this business, Jill Parker, was a part of the Travel Village Group Conference 2026 in Blackpool, and she participated in the charity run for Reuben’s Retreat.
Reuben’s Retreat is a place for families who experienced child loss or have a child with medical complexities. It was founded in 2012, after the Graham family lost their son Reuben to a rare brain tumour while on vacation.
His mother promised him to carry on his legacy, and that’s when, just two days later, Reuben’s Retreat was born.
Over the span of 14 years, the Retreat in Derbyshire transformed into an amazing sanctuary, where being unique is celebrated. The sanctuary aims to make families feel safe and cared for, as well as give them relief from their distress.
The Travel Village Group has a special connection to Reuben’s Retreat, as Reuben’s family has roots in the travel industry. That’s why they took the conference as an opportunity to support the charity.
Attendees took part in various fundraising activities, including a charity bingo, which raised £1,887 only during the conference. The main event was the 5-kilometre charity run, which brought the total to an astonishing £3,774.
“I felt amazing and extremely proud!” said Jill after completing the 5K run. “Reuben’s number is 23, and remarkably 23 runners turned up to ‘Run for Reuben’ – which we didn’t realise until his mum asked at the start, ‘How many runners?’ It felt like a little nod from Reuben, and he was with us.”
Jill is not a typical runner and completed the Couch to 5k programme, as well as training three times a week. She ran through the streets of Bishop Auckland which she regularly documented on her social media. This led to her getting supported by her local customers via donations, encouraging messages or even getting honked at by them when they drove past her.
She described that she was very committed to becoming her best: “As a mother with a young daughter, as soon as I was asked, I thought, ‘I can do this!’ – surely putting myself through 30-40 minutes of discomfort is nothing compared to what these families have to go through.”
Jill has owned her business for 7 years now in Bishop Auckland, but she’s been in the industry for 26. That’s why she was awarded the Karen Hardiman CEO Award at the Travel Village Group Conference, which honours CEOs who go above and beyond. “I am very passionate about the local community and very proud of Bishop being my home.”
By taking part in Reuben’s Run, Jill wanted to show how important memories with your family are, as for some it’s not as easy to gain those holiday experiences. She sums it up in a perfect way:
“Hug your kids tight and don’t take making memories with them for granted; it is a privilege.”
Carla Krenzke
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
