Congleton Rotarians joined with the Streetscape team to plant 4,000 purple crocus bulbs on the triangular roundabout at Lower Heath today (20 October).

The socially distanced planting work celebrates World Polio Day on October 24th.

Purple is the campaign colour and the crocuses, planted in two prominent beds, will serve as a permanent reminder for the people of Congleton, every springtime, of a world now almost free of wild polio.

Since 1985, Rotary-Congleton members have played their part in Rotary International's global campaign to eradicate the disease.

Over $2.1bn has been raised in total with Rotary contributing $890m.

A further milestone was reached on August 25th when the whole of African continent was declared wild polio-free, four years after the last case was recorded in Nigeria.

The World Health Organisation says that 99.9% of the world is now free of the disease. Parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan remain as the only local hot spots for the disease.

In 1988, UNICEF and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention joined the worldwide campaign.

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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation joined later. Nelson Mandela jumpstarted Africa's commitment in 1996. Since then 9 billion doses of oral vaccine have been provided.