MEMBERS of Carnforth Rotary from Cumbria and Lancashire will be taking on a challenge to raise funds for World Polio Day.

The group will be taking part in the Walking a Mile for Polio challenge, starting and returning from Carnforth War Memorial Gardens at 11am on October 23.

World Polio Day will be held on 24 October.

The Rotary International started their End Polio Now campaign in 1985 to rid the world of the crippling Polio disease.

At this time over a 1000 people per day were infected worldwide with many hotspots in Asia with other large numbers in West Africa.

Due to the success of the campaign which is supported by the World Health Organisation together with our partners, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, only 2 new cases (one in Pakistan and one in Afghanistan) have been reported in the world since January 2021.

Rotarians in each of the 25 UK based districts have been invited to take part in ‘Walk a Mile for Polio’ campaign with the aim of each District raising a minimum of £3000 each.

Sponsors are invited to donate no more than £1 which will be given to Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign.

Rotary Past District Governor Larry Branyan has said 'that despite the ongoing problems with the Covid-19 pandemic, the eradication of Polio remains Rotary’s Flagship project.'

"The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have pledged to donate $2 for every $1 Rotarians and their supporters give.

"Rotary’s experience of providing the Polio vaccine throughout the world has meant that our organisation is well placed to assist with distribution of Covid-19 vaccines to remote parts of the world.”