THE Rotary Club of Altrincham is pressing ahead with its campaign to fill the town with purple blooms - to show its support for the Purple4Polio campaign, which aims to rid the world of polio.

The campaign, which will continue for 12 months, has seen the club team up with community groups to transform and brighten up public spaces by planting purple crocus corms across the town.

Now the Rotary Club has taken delivery of 15 000 crocus corms for planting in the Trafford area.

A host of bodies are already on board supporting the colourful Purple4Polio scheme.

They include Altrincham In Bloom, and Friends of groups at Denzell Gardens, John Leigh Park, Navigation Rec, Wellfield, Bowdon, Timperley Civic Society and and Bollin Primary School.

They will all be planting the corms by the end of October for flowering in the spring, which will see Trafford covered in purple.

Schools, clubs and voluntary groups are all being urged to get involved in the initiative.

Stephen Woods, president of the Rotary Club of Altrincham, said: “As a club we have worked tirelessly to ensure that polio is eradicated for good, and with fewer cases being reported we believe we can end this deadly disease forever.”

The national campaign, which was launched by Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland, is being supported by legendary singer-songwriter Donovan and TV presenter Konnie Huq, to encourage everyone to join together in the final push to eradicate polio worldwide.

To make a polio free world a reality, Rotary, which started the campaign to eradicate polio more than 30 years ago and has spearheaded this major health initiative ever since, is determined to raise awareness and funds to finish off the job.

The colour purple was chosen as children were given a purple dye on their fingers to show they had been vaccinated under the 'purple pinkies' scheme where millions of children in Africa, India and Asia were vaccinated in recent years.

To date there are two countries left where polio is still found. They are Afghanistan and Pakistan.

If you would like to participate in the campaign or donate contact the Rotary Club of Altrincham https://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=262 or buy your corms from Art With A Heart opposite the Altrincham bus station clock..£1 for 10 corms. Contact Karen Wroe 07990 970555.