A LUDLOW event has been declared a great success by organisers after raising hundreds of pounds for charity.

Ludlow Rotary Club’s ‘Walk a Mile and donate £1 for Polio’ event was held on October 22, with a number of routes on offer, all starting from Ludlow Castle.

Organiser Tom Hunt said the event, held to raise the profile of efforts internationally by Rotary, along with other agencies, to eradicate the devastating disease worldwide, had been a "great success".

"When the battle began some 40 years ago 350,000 children were being paralyzed by polio every year in 125 countries," Mr Hunt said. 

"Today, as a result of an intensive immunization programme, the incidence of polio has been reduced by 99.9 per cent and the wild polio virus is now only endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan where less than 10 cases have been identified so far this year.”

“However, until the ultimate goal of eradication is achieved, huge numbers of children still have to receive their polio vaccinations each year."

Mr Hunt said he was grateful to all of those who supported the event, and that it was thanks to their efforts and the support of the Gates Foundation that £900 had been raised. He also thanked Ludlow Castle which opened its doors for participants to walk their mile within the outer bailey.

The amount has been calculated to be enough to save 4,500 children from polio, Mr Hunt said.

”Polio is often described as the world’s forgotten disease and something that should have been made history a long time ago," he said.

"Because of the efforts of Rotary and its partners over the years, nearly 19 million people who would otherwise have been paralysed are walking, and more than 1.5 million people are alive who would otherwise have died. Failure to eradicate polio could result in as many as 200,000 new cases worldwide every year within a decade.

Rotary members continue to be key players in many aspects of the polio programme including on the ground in a number of countries as well as fundraising and advocacy.

Donations may still be made in support of Ludlow Rotary Club’s efforts through https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/walk-a-mile-for-polio.