Dressed in vibrant purple, Redbridge Rotarians kicked off 2019 in style, taking part in the London New Year’s Day Parade.

The fundraising group wore purple to to promote Rotary’s Purple4Polio campaign to wipe out the disease.

Eve Conway, vice-chairman of Rotary International’s End Polio Now: Countdown to History Campaign Committee, said: “There were just 33 cases of wild polio virus last year in two countries worldwide, Afghanistan and Pakistan, compared to about a thousand cases a day in 125 countries when Rotary started the campaign to eradicate polio over 30 years ago. We must finish the job and End Polio Now and forever.”

The Rotary Purple4Polio campaign is so-called because purple is the colour of the dye placed on the little finger on the left hand of a child to show that they have been immunised against polio.

The fun for 2019 continued with members of Redbridge Rotary Club celebrating the Club’s 38th birthday at the home of one of its members, joined by partners and friends.

There, we heard more details about an exciting event that Rotary is involved in locally: the first ever Rotary East London and Essex Disability Games taking place on Sunday, May 19, 2019.

Rotary’s Purple4Polio ambassador, British paralympic wheelchair racer and polio survivor Anne Wafula Strike MBE, will open the Games in Ongar.

The event is sponsored by local Rotary Clubs and Epping Forest District Council and is free for all participants. Competitors must be at least 18 years old.

The sports are all indoor activities and include Boccia, bowls, table tennis, darts, bagatelle, stick ball, quoits, wheelchair slalom and New Age Kurling. Registration will start at around 12.30pm and the day will conclude around 5pm with the medal ceremony.

For more information and an entry form that must be returned by April 15, please contact Redbridge Rotarian Sharon Nathanson on 020 8551 5634, email sharonnathanson@hotmail.co.uk or Roding Rotarian Hilary Wrightman on hilary.wrightman@gmail.com.

Redbridge Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at Luigi’s Restaurant, 5 Beehive Lane, Ilford, Essex, IG1 3RG at 7pm for 7.30pm start.

For more information, visit our website www.redbridgerotaryclub.org or go to our Facebook page @RedbridgeRotaryClub or contact our Club President Tony Betts on 07970 087230 or email: rotary@tonybetts.com .