A SIX-year-old boy has helped a children's hosoice pay its unique annual rent of 12 red roses. 

Ben Marsh and his mother, Sarah Hawkins, presented Naomi Cornelius-Reid with one dozen red roses today - Midsummer’s Day. 

The tradition dates back to before Naomi House opened in 1997 when Mary Cornelius-Reid kindly allowed a hospice to be built on her land in the Sutton Manor Estate. This offer came with two conditions; that the hospice be named after her youngest daughter Naomi, and that each and every Midsummers Day the hospice pay a peppercorn rent of 12 red roses.

Although Mary Cornelius-Reid sadly passed away in 2014, staff at the charity still honour the tradition by presenting a bouquet of flowers to Naomi, after whom the hospice was named.

Ben Marsh, from Weymouth, celebrated his sixth birthday at Naomi House & Jacksplace this week and was all smiles as he handed over a stunning bouquet of roses to Naomi in the Jacksplace gardens.

Ben has a rare genetic condition and stays at Naomi House & Jacksplace for respite care.

Ben’s mother, Sarah, said: “Naomi House means so much to us as a family so we were really proud that Ben was able to pay the hospice’s rent for another year. It was a lovely day and it was particularly special to meet the charming lady that gave her name to the hospice. Coming here is really important to us. It means I can relax and just be a mum. I don’t have to worry about meds and suctioning. It’s just lovely.”

Mark Smith, Chief Operating Officer at Naomi House and Jacksplace, said: “Midsummer’s Day is always a very special day here at the hospices, and a day when we can look back on how far this charity has come since those early days when all we had was Mary Cornelius-Reid’s generous offer of a patch of land on her beautiful estate.

"We are pleased to be able to continue this wonderful tradition with Naomi and we are all excited that our next rent payment will take place in the newly refurbished Naomi House.

"I would like to thank the Cornelius-Reid family for their ongoing kindness and support, and thank Ben and Sarah for ensuring our rent is paid and we can continue caring for hundreds of children across central southern England for another year.”

Naomi House & Jacksplace hospices, in Sutton Scotney, care for life-limited and life-threatened children and their families from across Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Berkshire, West Sussex, Surrey and the Isle of Wight.

Naomi House hospice is currently closed for major refurbishment and the charity is in the process of raising more than £4 million to complete the building work. The hospice will reopen in September 2015 and members of the public have a special chance to look around the new building at the charity’s Open Day and Fete on September 12.