Residents help to highlight campaign

Residents turned out in force to support Newtownabbey Rotary Club’s ‘Purple 4 Polio’ crocus planting event on Monday, October 31.

Volunteers of all ages, including children from Ballynure Playgroup and the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Cllr John Scott, came along to help plant 12,000 crocus corms.

The aim of the campaign is to eradicate polio throughout the world. The crocuses are used to symbolise the millions of people who have been vaccinated against polio throughout the world as a result of the campaign.

The colour purple is used as this is the colour nurses in India use to mark with a spot the fingers of everyone who has been vaccinated.

The Rotary Foundation aims to plant six million crocuses throughout Great Britain and Ireland this year and is running the campaign with the support of the Royal Horticultural Society.

The crocuses for Ballynure were made available through the generous sponsorship of Ballynure & District Friendship Club, Ballynure & District Community Association and Naomi Bridal, Ballyclare.

Richard Wallace (Ballynure & District Friendship Club), Kay Clarke (Ballynure & District Community Association), Mayor, Cllr John Scott, Peter Watson (Newtownabbey Rotary Club) and Heather Bell (Naomi Bridal) attended.