Banbury Rotary Club's many reasons to celebrate

The format will be similar to those held in previous years with students from four Banburyshire secondary schools performing each evening and joining together in a massed choirs’ finale.

The Crocus Concerts will be held at St Mary’s Church, Banbury on Tuesday, March 7 and Thursday, March 9 from 7pm.

Performing on the first night will be student choirs from Blessed George Napier, Chenderit, Bloxham and Tudor Hall. The Thursday performance will feature student choirs from Banbury and North Oxfordshire Academies The Warriner and Sibford School.

Money raised during the event will go towards the Purple4Polio campaign that has drastically reduced the number of polio cases across the world but wants ot eradicate the disease form the earth for good via immunisation and continued re-immunisation.

One of the worlds richest men, Bill Gates, is backing the campaign with additional funding.

Fred Riches, Banbury Rotarian, said: “We hope people will come along to the Crocus Concerts on Tuesday March 7 and Thursday 9 at St Mary’s Church or make a donation to the cause.

“Every £5 ticket is trebled in value by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and £15 is enough to vaccinate around 50 children. We welcome individual donations, all of which will be trebled.”

Last year almost 50,000 Ruby Giant Crocuses, symbols of the Polio Eradication Campaign, have been planted at sites in and around Banbury as part of the Purple4Polio Initiative.

Some seven million corms were planted across the country last autumn with the aim of carpeting the country purple in early spring, to raise awareness and funds for the final push towards the eradication of polio.

To order your tickets click here.