Tameside Rotary curry night raises funds to help end polio

Members of the community came together for a colourful evening of food and fundraising as Tameside Rotary hosted a special “Wear Purple Curry Evening” in support of the global End Polio Now campaign.

Around 40 people attended the event, which raised £500 on the night. Thanks to a 2-to-1 matching partnership between Rotary International and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the total will be tripled, significantly boosting the contribution towards the worldwide effort to eradicate polio.

The evening took place at Sheikh’s Restaurant in Ashton-under-Lyne, where owner Sam and his team provided a warm welcome and helped create a lively atmosphere for guests.

Tameside Rotary President Mike Glover opened the evening with an introduction to the End Polio Now campaign, explaining its importance and the reason behind the purple theme. Guests were encouraged to wear purple in recognition of the dye applied to children’s fingers after they have been immunised against the disease.

A raffle featuring a range of donated prizes proved popular, with ten lucky winners taking home gifts, before the evening rounded off with entertainment from Rob Mason, a comedy folk entertainer. His nostalgic mix of stories, songs and humour about growing up in Lancashire had guests joining in enthusiastically with sing-alongs.

Angela Robbins, Past President and International & Foundation Chair at Tameside Rotary, highlighted the importance of the fundraising effort.

She said: “Curry evenings are a fantastic way to enjoy a great night out while supporting a massive humanitarian cause. We are almost at the finish line in ending polio and fundraising events such as this help take us a little nearer.

“Rotary has been fighting to rid the world of polio for over 35 years and whilst cases have drastically reduced, it’s estimated that if polio eradication efforts ceased today, within ten years we will see a resurgence which could affect up to 200,000 children each year. Continued funding and awareness are essential if we are to succeed in eradicating this highly infectious disease.

“I am very grateful to everyone who gave their support to this fun event and would particularly like to thank our Community Service Lead, Steve Knowles, for organising and collaborating on the event planning.”

The event showcased the community spirit in Tameside, combining entertainment and generosity to support a global cause.

For more information about Tameside Rotary, visit https://www.tamesiderotaryclub.com