On November 20, 2016, members of the Rotary Club of Leicester Novus planted about 2,000 crocus bulbs in Abbey Park, Leicester.
Gratefully acknowledging the help of about 20 students from De Montfort University, the club invited the students — and anyone interested — to come back in the spring to see the crocuses in bloom.
Sadly, a recent check on their progress revealed few crocuses, but many holes.
Lots of holes, but no crocuses
The grey squirrels which thrive in Abbey Park, one of the city’s vital ‘green lungs’ have been busy digging up the bulbs and feasting on them during the winter.
It is too early to give up, and Rotarians are a determined bunch, so they will keep checking for the purple crocus flowers.
They are purple because they refer to the purple ink marks made on the little fingers of the millions of children throughout the world who have been vaccinated against polio over the last 30 years of Rotary International’s End Polio Now campaign.
Novus bought 5,000 crocus bulbs. Half were planted at Abbey Park and half will be planted as part of the club’s support for a new Peace Garden being developed at Falcons Primary School, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. The purchase of the bulbs has already supported the End Polio Now campaign.
Rotary Purple 4 Polio jam
Novus members have also been buying jars of delicious jam and will be selling them for £5 each when they help run Rotary’s Young Musician event at Leicester Grammar School, Great Glen, on Sunday, March 19.
The jam has been made and bottled specially for the End Polio Now campaign by Essex firm Wilkin and Sons Ltd..
Crocuses in pots
Another business helping Rotary tackle polio is is Elizabeth Wright, a Rotarian based in Rushden, Northamptonshire, who is an Independent Phoenix Trader selling greeting cards and accessories. Elizabeth is selling crocuses in pots and greetings cards. To see the range available, please click here
If you want to know more about Leicester Novus Rotary, please fully explore this site… and/or e-mail RotaryClubofLeicesterNovus@gmail.com
First published 13.03.2017
Last edited 13.03.2017 5.35pm
