Rotary plants a carpet of purple

Carpets of purple crocus flowers will appear in communities across Tameside next spring as part of a nationwide campaign.

Each year millions of crocus corms are planted to raise awareness of Rotary International’s ‘End Polio Now’ campaign.

Locally clubs have once again been involved in Rotary’s Purple4Polio activities, with Tameside Rotary teaming up with groups and schools to raise awareness of the worldwide battle to beat polio.

The eradication of polio is a battle in which Rotary has been on the frontline for decades, starting its campaigning and raising awareness about the disease in the mid 1980s.  

HARD AT WORK: Tameside Rotary President Maria Bailey, Tameside Rotary Foundation Chair Cliff Hall, Alan Pickles (Friends of Gorse Hall) and pupils of Trinity School, Stalybridge. 

Polio rates have declined by 99.9 per cent with 2.5 billion children worldwide being immunised as a result, and polio has been eradicated almost worldwide except for areas in Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

Conflict in certain parts of the world also means immunisation is a very dangerous, but necessary activity.

Tameside Rotary teamed up with two environmental groups, the Friends of Sunny Bank Vale, Droylsden, and the Friends of Gorse Hall, Stalybridge, and the pupils of Trinity School in Stalybridge.

President Maria Bailey thanked Alan Pickles for making the arrangements and the pupils of Trinity School for their enthusiasm in planting the crocus bulbs and it is hoped there will be a wonderful display of flowers next spring in Gorse Hall Country Park.

Meanwhile, as part of the campaign, Tameside Rotary members also cleaned and tidied around the International Rotary Wheel in Ashton before planting 500 purple crocus bulbs.

The Wheel itself has been cared for by Rotarians for the past 15 years, and although in need of refurbishment, it is hoped will provide again a purple beacon come spring following its tidy up.

The club also reports that it is very proud that Rotarian Cliff Hall is the first member of Tameside Rotary to serve on the Rotary District Foundation Committee which is responsible for the distribution of grants to rotary clubs to use on various local and international projects.