Alnwick Rotary and Alnwick in Bloom expand symbolic purple display

Volunteers from Alnwick Rotary Club and Alnwick in Bloom joined forces to plant 2,000 additional purple crocuses beneath the trees opposite Alnwick Cemetery, expanding the town’s vibrant annual spring display.

At one time Polio reached 1,000 cases a day across 125 countries, causing widespread paralysis and death among children.

Thanks to the global efforts of Rotary International and its partners, cases have plummeted by 99.9%. This historic push has saved an estimated 1.5 million lives and enabled nearly 19 million people to walk who would have otherwise been paralyzed.

However, the fight is not yet over. With a handful of wild cases remaining, ongoing campaigning, health worker training, and routine immunisation remain vital to prevent a resurgence. Each year, over 400 million children in more than 50 countries still require multiple doses of the vaccine to ensure polio is eradicated permanently.

In Alnwick, locals can look forward to next spring, when the newly planted crocuses will bloom in full support of this global cause.