OVER the last 30 years Rotary International has been deeply involved in the campaign to finally eliminate Polio.

Worldwide the Rotary Club has raised hundreds of millions of US dollars. An agreement with the Gates Foundation whereby they give $2 for each $1 that Rotary raised means that this has already generated $1.3 billion. This arrangement has been renewed for 2018.

The Rotary Club of Farnham made collections at the Maltings where the film ‘Breathe’ was screened last year week, telling the story of Robin Cavendish (played by Andrew Garfield) who became paralyzed from the neck down by polio at age 28.

More than £520 in cash was donated and as the club is registered to claim Gift Aid, this will raise the total to over £620.

With a small top up from funds already donated to the Rotary Club of Farnham’s Benevolent Fund, the amount sent to the Polio campaign will be £666.67 - and so with the Gates multiple, the final amount generated by the generosity of the people of Farnham will be £2,000.

The president of the Rotary Club of Farnham, Paul Fry, has selected ‘End Polio Now’ as one of his chosen charities for the year. He explained that the campaign has delivered 2.1 billion vaccinations with the effect that worldwide cases had declined from 350,000 in 1988 to 37 in 2016. There remain risks in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria and so the campaign continues.

Mr Fry said: “There is an opportunity to finally eliminate polio and consign it to history like smallpox. The final stages involve demanding work in sometimes dangerous surroundings.

“I am delighted that the community of Farnham has chosen to support this campaign so generously. I would also like to thank the Maltings for their support in enabling this fundraising.”