Bright purple displays are set to appear across Oldham in the new year as part of a long-running international campaign to eradicate polio, led locally by Saddleworth Rotary Club.
The initiative forms part of Rotary International’s global efforts to eliminate the disease, which have been ongoing for more than 40 years. Thanks to sustained worldwide action, polio cases have been reduced to just a handful each year in one or two countries, but Rotary members say continued vigilance is essential to prevent the disease from spreading again.
The annual Purple for Polio campaign sees Rotary clubs donate to the eradication programme by purchasing crocus corms, which bloom into distinctive purple flowers each spring. The colour symbolises the purple ink used to mark children’s fingers after vaccination in polio-affected countries, showing they have received life-saving protection.
In Oldham, Saddleworth Rotary Club members Jon Stocker and Clint Elliott were joined by volunteers from St Thomas Leesfield Church of England Infant School gardening gang, Mahdlo Youth Zone and Age UK Oldham to plant crocus corms at sites across the borough.
The flowers are expected to bloom at St Thomas Church in Lees, Mahdlo Youth Zone, and Age UK Oldham’s day care centres at Bluebells in Moorside and Ashby House in Royton, creating visible reminders of the global fight against polio.
Rotary member Clint Elliott said: “It’s great to get so many organisations supporting people of all ages across Oldham involved in this effort.
“It raises funds to help continue the work of eradicating polio throughout the world, and it also acts as a reminder of how devastating the disease can be. Rotary would like to thank all those who engaged with us on this project.”
The Saddleworth Rotary Club hopes the purple blooms will not only brighten local spaces but also spark conversations about the importance of vaccination and global cooperation in tackling preventable diseases.
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