THE ROTARY CLUB of Haslemere joined hands with local schools and groups to plant 1,000 purple crocus bulbs around Haslemere, marking World Polio Day on October 24. 

Children from Shottermill schools, Camelsdale School and Undershaw, along with volunteers from Weyhill in Bloom and the Parish of St Barts and St Christopher’s, helped plant the crocuses around Haslemere.

The world-wide Rotary Foundation, launched PolioPlus in 1985 and was a founding member of the Global Polio Eradication initiative in 1988.

Through decades of work by Rotary and our partners, more than 2.5 billion children have now received the oral polio vaccine and it is now eradicated from most of the world. The last two countries where polio is still endemic, are Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Rotary has been a driving force behind the Global Polio Eradication initiative, contributing more than $2.6 billion to the cause.  

Rotary plant purple crocuses because in many countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, purple is the colour of the dye put on the fingers of a child after they have been vaccinated.

If you want to know more about the work the Rotary Club of Haslemere do, click here or email at [email protected]