Storrington, Pulborough, West Chiltington & Ashington In National Polio Campaign

Dozens of people in Storrington, Pulborough, West Chiltington & Ashington have taken part in the Rotary club of Storrington’s event to plant 3,500 crocus bulbs in various locations around the area in late October.

Staff and pupils from Storrington First School joined forces with the Rotary club to plant 300 crocus bulbs together with people in the following areas –
Pulborough – approx 400bulbs were planted.

Storrington –1,700 bulbs found their way into Planters in the High Street arranged by the Storrington Greenfingers and the Parish Council; others were planted around the village pond. Storrington Conservation Society arranged for planting on the Green area opposite Storrington Cycles, and Whitehorse Court took delivery of 700 bulbs.

West Chiltington - in St Mary’s Churchyard & around the Green near Hayling Pond, where volunteers planted 800 bulbs.

Ashington - 300 around the pond at Broadbridge Farm to be appreciated by walkers & ramblers alike.

Thousands of Rotary members across Great Britain and Ireland took part in the organisation’s Thanks for Life campaign. They linked up with schools, businesses, organisations and individuals to hold hundreds of fund-raising events to meet the £1 million target for Rotary Day on Tuesday 23 February 2011 (Rotary’s 106th birthday).

As a prelude to this massive campaign, the challenge was on to raise money and plant as many giant purple crocus bulbs as possible all across Great Britain and Ireland. Rotary invited everyone to plant bulbs in the autumn so that they bloom during February when Thanks for Life will reach its peak. The colour denotes the purple dye used to mark a child’s finger to show they have been immunised against polio. Each planting site will be clearly signed in February, to remind the public of the real reason behind the swathes of purple.

Polio is a crippling, and sometimes fatal, disease and is still a terrifying reality for children in parts of Africa and Asia. However, it still threatens children everywhere. Being highly virulent it is only ever an air-flight away from the UK. Every £1 raised in this campaign will pay for five doses of the special anti-polio vaccine – that will protect children against polio forever.

Storrington Rotary Club president Mike Webster said: “We are absolutely delighted to have planted 3,500 bulbs and want to thank everyone for getting behind our campaign so enthusiastically.”

Rotary has been fighting to end polio for 25 years – and the world is now tantalisingly close to achieving that goal thanks to the joint hard work of organisations and governments. Anyone who has contributed funds will be able to say: ‘I helped to eradicate a disease completely for only the second time in history, after smallpox. Not only did I prevent children from dying or being maimed – I helped change the world’.

“Any donation, however large or small, really will help to make a difference – and every penny will go towards the continuing efforts to destroy this dreadful disease. A polio-free world is just around the corner.”

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