A great sense of 'community spirit' is underway in Sandown which will see the town turn purple in the spring, as part of a campaign to raise awareness for charity End Polio.
Rotary Great Britain and Ireland suggested a Purple4Purple campaign to raise funds and awareness for the disease, as part of a global programme to eradicate polio across the world.
In support of the campaign, Sandown Rotary gave Sandown Green Town Volunteers 3,000 purple crocus corms for planting across the town.
Local schools and businesses have been taking part in the planting, which has brought together the younger and older members of the community.
Christine Jackson, Chair of Sandown Green Town Volunteers said:
‘3,000 is a lot of bulb! We saw this as a great opportunity to liaise with other groups across Sandown. Everyone we approached was delighted to join in. So crocuses were planted in the Willow Walk, thanks to the Common Space, in the Isle of Wight Zoo and at Battery Gardens, thanks to the Friends of Battery Gardens.
'We were especially delighted to be able to join with children of the Bay CE School in planting up their ‘living crosses’. This was a great experience bringing together some of the youngest members of the community with some of the oldest. Fortunately, most of the planting had been planned for the Wednesday before the second lockdown started so we were in compliance with Covid guidelines.
'It was a glorious day showcasing the beauty of Sandown and the Bay, and Sandown’s great community spirit. Christine concluded, those of us who remember the devastating effects of Polio in this country are more than happy to support such a good cause. There is no cure for polio so vaccination is vital.”
No child in the world is safe from the disease until they have been fully vaccinated, to finish the job over 2 billion doses of oral polio vaccine still have to be administered to more than 400 million children in over 50 countries each year.
Only when there are zero cases of polio and zero positive environmental samples can the world finally be certified polio-free.
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