Rotary Club of Uppingham members in Rutland collect money for Rotary's End Polio Now campaign

On Friday 25 October, members of the Rotary Club of Uppingham were out in force in Uppingham collecting for Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign, writes Carolyn Cartwright.

The collection raised more than £270 which, with Gift Aid and 2:1 matching from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will result in over £1,000 being contributed to the campaign to “End Polio Now”.

Hugh Holden, the club’s polio co-ordinator, said: “We wish to thank all the residents and visitors who gave so generously to our collection today.

“Rotary started this campaign in 1985 when there were 365,000 cases of polio worldwide - today polio is restricted to only two countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan where this year there have been 88 cases so far.

“However, until we can reduce this figure to zero this dreadful disease can still recur and could rapidly spread across the world once more.

“We are winning the battle - just this month we have heard that Nigeria, and therefore Africa, have entered the surveillance period to allow Africa to be declared polio free and yesterday, wild polio virus type 3, was declared eradicated by the WHO and so only one wild polio virus remains to be eradicated.”

Uppingham Rotary’s next event to raise funds for the polio campaign will be the indoor bike ride for End Polio Now, which will be held in the Falcon Hotel on November 22 from 9am until 7pm.

During this period we will ask Rotarians and the public to cycle for 10 minute stints on a static cycle loaned by Uppingham School with the aim of riding 100 miles in 10 hours.

We will also ask friends and supporters to sponsor us (or just donate) for the event.

For more information about Rotary or the End Polio Now campaign use the contact form at the Rotary club website www.uppinghamrotary.org

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