MEMBERS of Haslemere and District Rotary Club joined forces with Liphook in Bloom to plant 2,000 purple ‘Ruby Giant’ crocuses in the Millennium flower beds, in Midhurst Road, on a glorious sunny Sunday morning, as part of their Purple4Polio campaign.

Joan Holdsworth from Liphook in Bloom designed a display that will start from the centre of the Millennium bed, cascading over the edge in a waterfall style when the crocus flowers appear in the spring.

Along with Bloomers were Rotarians Peter Grinstead and Graeme Hanney, who told The Herald: “We would like to thank the members of Liphook in Bloom for their support and assistance in planting the bulbs and promoting the Purple4Polio campaign and for the thought and effort they have put into what should be a stunning display next spring.”

This year Haslemere and District Rotary have been able to, with the co-operation of local communities, plant 5,000 crocus bulbs at different sites in the district. In addition to Liphook, crocuses have been planted at Green Acres Woodland Burial Park in Grayshott and Northchapel Primary Schoo,l in Northchapel.

For the last 30 years Rotary International has been committed to eradicating Polio.

Over that time the number of countries effected by polio has dropped from 125 to just three with some 2,5 billion children having been vaccinated against polio.

With eradication now very close, Rotary Great Britain and Ireland’s latest campaign, Purple4Polio is designed to unite communities to engage in activities as part of a final push to eradicate polio for good.

The purple crocus is a symbol of Rotary’s worldwide campaign to eradicate polio, with its colour representing the purple dye used to mark the finger of a child to indicate they have received the life saving polio vaccine.

For more information visit www.rotarygbi.org.