Earlier in November the Friends helped Northampton West Rotary Club plant 2000 ‘Purple 4 Polio’ crocus corms at the entrance to the Country Park car park.

Rotary has partnered with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to plant 5 million crocus corms this November, which will flower in February 2020 to brighten up communities across Great Britain and Ireland.

The purple crocus is a symbol of Rotary’s worldwide campaign to eradicate polio, with its colour representing the dye used to mark the finger of a child who has been immunised.

When Rotary started the campaign to eradicate polio over 30 years ago, there were cases present in 125 countries worldwide. Now, just two countries remain polio endemic : Afghanistan and Pakistan. During that time, Rotary has helped immunise over 2.5 billion children and reduce the number of polio cases by 99.9%. The eradication of polio is now tantalisingly close.

By covering our parks, gardens and green spaces with these purple crocuses, Rotary are aiming to demonstrate how the humble flower can symbolise a colourful splash of hope for a new beginning for children and how working together whilst having fun in the process can make a huge difference.

More details in Rotary’s leaflet.