Rotarians throughout Britain and Ireland are holding many Purple4Polio events to bring awareness of and raise money for the Rotary campaign to End Polio Now and forever.  

Purple is the colour of the dye placed on the little finger of the left hand of a child to show they have been immunised against polio, hence the name Purple4Polio. With millions of children to vaccinate, this makes it easier to see who has been protected and who has not. 

Since Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative nearly 30 years ago, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from about 350,000 cases a year in 125 countries to just 22 cases in 2018 and with just three remaining polio-endemic countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.

To sustain this progress and protect all children from polio, Rotary has committed to raising  £40 million per year ($50 million) over the next three years in support of global polio eradication efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match Rotary’s commitment 2:1 so every £1 becomes raised £3. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralysing disease could return to previously polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk.

Our Project:

With your support here in Newton-le-Willows you will be helping to make history by joining millions of Rotarians and supporters across the globe raising awareness, funds and support to wipe polio off the face of the earth.  Polio is a vaccine preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.

We will be distributing 5,000 crocus corms amongst a number of our partner organisations who will plant these in prominent locations within our community between late October and early November. Next spring when hopefully the crocuses flower we will hold a competition to judge the best display and the winning organisation will get a donation from our club.

The Newton Gardeners’ Association, Chairman, Malcolm Greenhaugh will be judging the entries and will also be giving technical advice to those organisations that require it.

All we ask from our participating organisations is that they use their social media and websites to promote our campaign and if they so wish also help us raise money for the campaign.

The participating organisations are:

Community:

Newton Boys and Girls Club: Victoria Musk

Business for Youth: Terry Maguire

Newton and Earlestown Community Group: Vicky LLewelyn

Earlestown Cricket Club: John Allen

Sankey Valley Canal Restoration Society (SCARS): Colin Greenhall

Haydock Park Golf Club: John Kilshaw

Newton Community Hospital: Tony Chandler and Ian Parr

Schools:

Penkford School: Chris Langevelt

Wargrave House School: Michelle Henigan

Diistrict C of E School: Karen Cliffe

Wargrave CP School: Lynn Dove

St Peters School: Paul Robinson

Crocuses corms to be planted between late October and Early November.

Competition to be judged early spring. Exact timing will be determined by the weather and the type of winter we have had.

This is a joint effort between the three service committees and is meant to promote awareness of the Purple4Polio campaign in our community and schools. 

For further details also see our Celebrating World Polio Day Events page.