Purple crocuses planted in Welland Park to showcase Harborough Rotary's work to eradicate Polio

Harborough in Bloom volunteers have been busy planting flowers donated by Rotary Club of Market Harborough.

The team were joined by Rotary president Les Dodd to plant the purple crocuses, which mark the group’s work to eradicate polio across the world.

In recent years the In Bloom team – which recently scooped awards at Britain In Bloom and East Midlands in Bloom – has supported the Rotary crocus planting initiative at St Dionysius Church, along the Millennium Mile and at St Luke’s hospital.

And this year the club has donated crocuses to 13 local schools and five care homes. The flowers will start to bloom from spring next year.

Les Dodd said: “It is wonderful that Market Harborough in Bloom brighten our town every year with splendid blooms and Market Harborough Rotary Club are always delighted to support them.”

In the last few decades Polio has been eliminated in most of the world, with support to the World Health Organisation’s campaign from global Rotary and the Gates Foundation.

Market Harborough in Bloom chairwoman Barbara Tallis said: “We are really pleased to again support the Rotary Club in planting purple crocuses to highlight their ongoing campaign to eradicate Polio worldwide.

"We have planted 1,000 corms around the Covid Memorial and Queen’s Green Canopy trees in Welland Park and in the Rotary planter on the High St. I’m sure they will make a wonderful show of colour and provide a vital resource for insect pollinators early in the year."