Homebuilder gives £500 donation to Eaton and Hulme Walfield Rose Queen

The Rose Queen of Eaton and Hulme Walfield, based on the outskirts of Congleton, Cheshire, has received a £500 donation towards her charity fundraising drive from housebuilder Jones Homes.

As part of her year in the traditional role, Isla Goodwin, 11, is on a mission to raise money for community causes and her charity of choice, Chester Zoo.

So, Jones Homes, which is building properties at its nearby Westlow Heath development in Congleton, decided to give her efforts a boost with the £500 gift.

Simon Whalley, Sales Director for Jones Homes North West, said: “The Rose King and Queen tradition is a lovely custom in the local area, and it makes a great focus for fundraising for good causes in the community.

“We can see that Isla has been working hard to raise money and we were very happy to add to the fund. We are looking forward to seeing how Chester Zoo and other good causes will be helped by her efforts.”

Isla was originally meant to take on the title in the 2020/21 period, but because of the Covid pandemic it was not possible, so her reign was postponed until 2022/23.

She is hoping to raise £2,000 by the end of her year in office and, with the Jones Homes donation, she has now raised £1,600.

The role of Rose Queen entails representing Eaton and Hulme Walfield at functions and attending local events throughout the year.

Isla, who is being supported by Rose King Christopher Bailes, has raised hundreds of pounds through a variety of events including raffles and a Christmas Market held in the village hall.

She is grateful to Jones Homes for the gift and said: “Thank you for such a generous donation!”

Isla is keeping up a family tradition by taking on the role as her sister Maddie was Rose Queen in 2019. Jones Homes also gave Maddie a £500 donation towards her fundraising target, and one of her fundraisers was climbing up Mount Snowdon.

Isla said: “I was Maddie’s petal thrower and enjoyed being part of the event. She raised a lot of money for good causes, and I wanted to do that too. However, I absolutely did not want to climb Snowdon again!”

To find out more about the Westlow Heath development, visit jones-homes.co.uk/westlow-heath.