MKGU Crocus Planting for Polio awareness - October 2025
Planting crocuses at Willen Hospice garden
Its at this time of year that Rotary Clubs throughout the United Kingdom plant thousands of purple crocuses. Displays can be spotted in villages, towns and cities wherever there is a Rotary Club located when they flower in mid February/ early March.
The bulbs are planted in recognition of Rotary International's ambition and commitment to eliminate Polio throughout the world. In 1985 when the project was initiated, many thousands of children and adults suffered from this debilitating and crippling - and in many cases fatal - disease. In 2024 the number of cases of polio could be counted in low double figures, with all countries in the world, except two - Pakistan and Afghanistan - were free from the disease.
The Rotary Club of Milton Keynes Grand Union has played its part planting purple crocuses in past years, and in the last couple of weeks members of the club, helped plant a display of 4000 purple crocuses in the grounds of Willen Hospice in Milton Keynes. They were helped by Tom Burchmore, the Willen gardener, and after around 90 minutes of hard work, all enjoyed coffee in the Willen cafe.
World Polio Day 24 October 2025
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