Spring flowers in Whitchurch will save lives

Since 1985, when polio paralysed more than 350,000 children in 125 countries each year, Rotary International and its partners have been committed to eradicating polio from the world.

The job is almost complete with cases now in only three countries, and the aim is for them to be clear of the disease in 2018. Rotary’s Purple4Polio campaign is raising the necessary funds to finish the job. As part of the campaign, Rotary is in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society to plant more than 5 million purple crocuses across Great Britain and Ireland.

The colour purple represents the colour of the dye which is placed on the little finger of a child on mass immunisation days to show that they have been treated.

The Rotary Club of Cardiff Breakfast has committed to planting 2,500 crocuses, and 500 of these have been planted in the church grounds at St Michael’s Church, Tongwynlais – some in the flower tubs and some in the flower beds. Rotarians Pauline Owen and Canon Neville Jones were helped by two Tiny Tots on their way to their weekly morning in the church hall, assisted by the church verger Michael Griffiths who had prepared the ground beforehand.

Another batch has been planted in the Rotary Centenary Garden at the Whitchurch Library and yet more were donated to the George Thomas Hospice in Whitchurch, which were planted by some of their volunteers in the gardens used by patients and their families.

The Club meets every Wednesday morning at 7.30am in the Whitchurch Golf Club. Visitors are always welcome.

More information about the Club can be found at www.cardiffbreakfastrotary.org