Penrith Rotary club joined forces with the Penrith Community Gardeners, led by Joan Robinson, to plant purple crocus bulbs in the town’s Coronation Garden.
The purple crocus is the symbol of the End Polio Now campaign, which Rotary, globally, has been involved with for more than three decades.
This campaign aims to eradicate polio and is one of Rotary’s longest standing and most significant efforts.
The club has helped immunise more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 122 countries and reduced cases by 99.9 percent worldwide.
The planting of purple crocuses in the Coronation Garden was done to provide a lasting tribute to the late Penrith Rotarian Jeff Fawcett, who recently died.
Jeff, a retired assistant chief constable from Cumbria police, was instrumental in the Coronation Garden project.
He worked tirelessly for more than a decade to bring the project to fruition.
During his long and productive Rotary career, Jeff also organised a walk across Morecombe Bay, which raised over £15,000 in 2003.
Latterly, he was recognised as a Rotary Champion of Change by the Government and attended a presentation for this award at 10 Downing Street.
