Pupils at Kingsway Primary School, Kirkby, wore purple and other bright colours for a day as part of the Rotary International campaign to eradicate polio from the world.

Youngsters (some pictured above) paid 50p and Kirkby Rotary Club supplied purple crocus badges, which school staff sold to the children, parents and visitors.

Rotarian Francis Newenham, chairman of the Kirkby Rotary projects committee, said: “Rotary around the world has been working for 30 years with The World Health Organisation to eradicate polio from the globe and achieving that is now well within sight.

“Our club enjoys an ongoing relationship with Kingsway Primary, and it’s very rewarding to have their support with this Wear Purple day.

“The Bill Gates Foundation pledges to treble every pound collected; within the first hour or two of this special Friday, the school raised £67 by selling badges, so this alone would raise more than £200 for the funds.”

On world immunisation days carried out in India, for example, children’s little fingers are marked with purple dye to show they have been given the vaccine — leading to the colour purple becoming closely associated with the campaign, including the slogan Purple For Polio.

Kirkby Rotary is planning a community-wide Purple For Polio project in October.