Pupils at Stevenage schools, five primary – Almond Hill, Giles, Martins Wood, Shephalbury Park, and Trotts Hill – and two secondary – Barclay and Thomas Alleyne – raised £3,500 towards the campaign to End Polio Now.

Stephen McPartland, MP, joined Stevenage Rotary Presidents to present certificates and class dictionaries to acknowledge the great efforts made by the young people. Stephen was delighted to celebrate the success with them and said, “I am proud to be associated with a group of young people who have so clearly demonstrated their awareness of, and commitment towards social awareness and community cohesion. They have set a good example to us all”.

The funds were raised through a wide range of activities, including using purple-ink pens, selling purple-iced buns, and having handprints preserved in purple paint. Children in Afghanistan, India or Pakistan have their little fingers are painted with a purple dye to show they have been immunised.

The money, through Rotary’s partnership with the Bill Gates Foundation, will result in a total of 17,500 young people in Afghanistan, India or Pakistan will be immunised against the crippling disease.