The Rotary Club of Midsomer Norton & Radstock will be planting 4000 bulbs which will be a reminder each spring of the fight for a polio free world.

Over 500 bulbs have been donated to the Rotakids at St. John's Primary School, Midsomer Norton to plant or sell to raise funds. An additional 1500 bulbs have been sold in Leigh on Mendip by impassioned club member, Martin Carter, including 200 Martin donated to the primary school.

None of this would be possible without team work, and Rotary's success to date is in tackling the disease by uniting together with volunteers and other organisations.

Rotary members throughout Great Britain and Ireland will be planting over 2.5 million purple crocus corms across their communities, adding to the many millions which have been planted during previous years.

Purple has become a symbolic colour in the fight against polio, inspired by the colour of the dye painted on the little finger of a child to signify they have received a potentially life-saving polio vaccine.

This is essential on mass immunisation days when literally millions of children receive the vaccine across entire regions or even countries.

Nick Candy, Rotary Club of Midsomer Norton & Radstock President commented: "We're proud to be planting these purple symbols of the Polio campaign and working with the Rotakids Club at St. John's Primary School makes it even more special. Only together can we end polio and we can all play our part in the continuing global efforts to eradicate the disease."

Since Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) over 30 years ago, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.99%, from about 350,000 cases a year in 125 countries to just 33 cases in 2018 and with just two countries reporting cases of wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In order to sustain this progress, around 2 billion doses of the vaccine still have to be given to more than 400 million children in up to 60 countries every single year.

This is in addition to the routine immunisations that happen elsewhere around the world, including in the UK and Ireland.

Without full funding, political commitment and volunteer-led social action, there is a real threat that polio could return, putting children worldwide at risk.

Rotary has committed to raising US$50 million each year to support global polio eradication efforts, with that funding matched 2-to-1 by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Rotary has contributed more than US$1.9 billion to ending polio since 1985.

Contact www.rotarynr.org.uk to find out more or to get involved in other activities with the Rotary Club of Midsomer Norton & Radstock.