The Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh

A ROTARY campaign aims to bring a purple glow to school play grounds and other gardens around Woodley and Earley next spring.

The Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh has purchased 10,000 purple crocus bulbs for planting by local school children. Purple is the colour of the worldwide Rotary campaign to raise awareness of the need to completely eradicate the crippling disease, as it is the colour of the dye put on the fingers of children in polio-affected countries to show that they have been immunised against the disease.

Rotary, along with the Gates Foundation, has reduced polio cases by 99.9% worldwide since the first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. Over the years, Rotary clubs around the world have contributed more than $1.7 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries.

In addition, Rotary and the

Gates Foundation have played an important role in influencing decisions by donor governments to contribute more than $7.2billion to the effort. Our club makes a significant financial contribution to the campaign every year.

The bulb planting is in full swing around Reading with bulbs already in at Aldrington School in addition to Willow Bank.

Crocuses and hyacinths have also been planted by a team of our Rotarian gardeners in a sensory garden at the Liberty of Earley House care home.

Further information on the End Polio project can be found by visiting www.endpolio.org.