The generous people of Goostrey have donated 40 items for a promise auction to help raise funds for Goostrey Rose Festival and a visit by children and teachers from South Africa who will be spending two weeks in the village this summer.
The on-line auction of promises goes live on Thursday 2 March. There are a host of promises to choose from and so there is almost certainly something for everyone. Amongst the items are: someone to babysit; a meal locally; a weekend away in Anglesey; a trip to a copper mine; an historic tour of Burslem; a children’s party and front row tickets for the Goostrey School Nativity play.
People need to log on to https://auctionofpromises.com/2023GoostreyAuction in order to make a bid. The auction closes at 10pm on Saturday 11 March and the promise will go to the person who has made the highest bid at that time. The funds raised will be split 50:50 between Goostrey Rose Festival and the South African visit.
A quiz, involving teams of no more than six, will be also be held at Goostrey village Hall on Saturday 11 March at 7.30pm. The bar opens at 7pm.Tickets cost £5 per person and are available from Peter Gomes: Tel 07867 798848, treasurer@goostreyrosefestival.co.uk
This will be the sixth time since 2004 that pupils from the Elizabethfontein school in the Western Cape have visited Goostrey to take part in the annual Rose Day celebrations.
The eight children, who will be staying with families in Goostrey, will also be taking part in lessons at Goostrey school and demonstrating crafts, sharing South African playground games and dancing. The school has won numerous dancing competitions throughout the Western Cape and the children will be performing at Rose Day on Saturday 24 June.
The rural Elizabethfontein School, which is a three-and-a-half-hour drive North of Cape Town, has 270 children most of whom board on weekly basis in two huge dormitories.
Christina Burgess, Chair of Goostrey Rose Festival, said: “Yet again the people of Goostrey have been very generous and donated some really interesting promises. We hope everyone will be equally charitable when it comes to bidding for the items. It finishes on the same night as the quiz in the village hall so we hope that as many people as possible will be there for the closing of the auction at 10pm. We have already attracted about eight teams but we have room for more.
“All the money raised will go to Goostrey Rose Festival and supporting the visit of the South Africans who when they come make Rose Day even more memorable. Whenever they join us, they add an extra dimension to our celebrations so I am sure the people of Goostrey will support the quiz and silent auction in order to make the visit and this year’s Rose Day very special.”