THE work of pupils at Lochgelly High is making quite an impact on the spring scene outside the school and helping the battle continue against polio.

Cowdenbeath Rotary Club spent several hundred pounds on buying purple crocuses in the autumn as part of Rotary International’s bid to end the disease in the world.

And in late October a group of pupils helped a Fife Council team plant the crocuses in a special display sending out the message that the school and local rotary club were working to end polio in the two countries which still suffers cases.

The crocuses are now flowering and the LHS community is delighted with the way the planting programme worked out.

The display is visible from the B920

The display is visible from the B920

Rotary International has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years and the goal of ridding the world of this disease is now closer than ever.

Thursday’s Zoom meeting of the Cowdenbeath club heard that as a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the movement has reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since the first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.

Rotary members world wide have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly three billion children in 122 countries from the paralysing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.

Cowdenbeath President, Yolanda Hilton, said: “Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“But it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free and the work by the pupils at Lochgelly High is showing that desire is strong to ensure the job is completed.”

The display can be viewed from the B920 linking Lochgelly and Glencraig.