THERE is something quietly genteel about the Royal jam makers Wilkin and Sons.

Maybe it is the fresh flowers in the Wilkin’s morello cherry jar in the oak-panelled reception.

Or perhaps it is the jars upon jars of jams, chutneys, relishes and honey proudly bearing the traditional Wilkin and Sons label which grace each cabinet and corner of the Tiptree headquarters.

Wilkin and Sons was established in 1885 and its roots are as firmly entrenched in Tiptree as its acres of strawberries, raspberries and plums.

So why is this intrinsically English firm supporting a global initiative to eradicate the life-threatening and life-limiting disease polio?

Liz Baker, Wilkin and Sons’ marketing manager smiles.

“We wanted to help. We know how to make jam.”

Was there ever such an understatement?

Wilkin and Sons has the Royal warrant for its jam-making expertise and produces a range of products which is exported to 60 countries across the world.

The firm agreed to support the Purple4Polio appeal after a meeting with Rotarian Nigel Dyson who is spearheading the new campaign to raise £3 million.

The Purple4Polio appeal has been going for more than 30 years with the aim of eradicating polio.

When it was launched in 1985, there were 125 polio-endemic countries.

Today, there are just three - Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan - and the prevalence of polio has dropped from 1,000 children a day to just 37 recorded cases last year.

If enough money can be raised, it will be used to immunise all children in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria and in so doing polio will have been wiped off the face of the earth.

Mr Dyson’s rather presumptuous request to Wilkin and Sons was to produce 52,000 jars of jam which will be distributed to all Rotary members in Great Britain and Ireland.

The members will be asked to give a suggested donation of £2 for the jam and once the jars have been emptied, they will be asked to fill them with coins.

Mr Dyson calculated this will raise in the region of £1 million which will be double match funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to total £3 million.

Previously, Wilkin and Sons has produced marmalade and tomato ketchup as Rotary fundraisers.

Liz said: “We had been involved in a couple of similar fundraising projects before so we knew the mechanics of it worked.

“We are quite a cautious company in some ways but this is something we wanted to do.”

Liz’s colleague, sales and marketing director Scott Goodfellow, agreed to the request in principle and went away to work out the detail.

This time, in keeping with the purple theme, the firm has produced an Essex Rivers Plum jam as well as some bespoke greengage jam.

The 52,000 jars also carry a special label incorporating the colour purple and the Rotary logo.

The firm’s production schedule was amended to facilitate the work and the jars were then packed up and distributed to 25 locations around the country.

From there, Rotary clubs are ensuring the jars reach every member who has been charged with raising the money.

Mr Dyson said other jars will also be available for schools and other clubs for a donation and they will then be asked to raise a minimum of £20 a jar for the appeal.

A series of tea parties will also be held to boost the coffers.

Wilkin and Sons is a regular contributor to charitable campaigns.

It works in association with cream producers Rodda in National Cream Tea day and donates jam for use in fundraising cream teas.

It regularly donates hampers of goodies to act as raffle prizes for worthy causes.

Liz said Wilkin and Sons felt positive about the value of the Purple4Polio campaign.

“They are so close to achieving what they set out to do.

“If we can help it would be great and an incredible achievement for them.

“This is something we want to make happen, we like to do what we can.

“We are producing the jam and labelling it, that is what we are good at; we know how to make jam.

“Rotary is doing the hard work of ensuring it gets to all the locations and raising and collecting the money.

“It has a huge task for them. We are glad to be playing our part.”

  •  Anyone who would like a jar of jam or who would like to hold a tea party for the appeal should email Mr Dyson on nigel@garden-shows.com.