IN BRIEF
ELLIOTT HARDING IN THE
FRAME FOR A WIN WIRRAL KNITTERS REACH
‘HAT-MAKING’ MILESTONE
FOR SEAFARERS
A Heswall man has been chosen from thousands of
proud glasses wearers as a regional finalist for Specsavers’
Spectacle Wearer of the Year. An industrious group of Wirral knitters are celebrating a
special milestone after making more than 5000 hats for
seafarers entering the Port of Liverpool.
Elliott Harding, aged 22 could follow in the footsteps of last year’s Award
winner, Love Island hunk Alex Miller, winning £10,000 and the chance to
mingle with the stars at the annual Spectacle Wearer of the Year Awards.
Glasses wearers across the UK and Republic of Ireland have been showing
off their specs style by sharing their selfies online throughout the spring
and summer. It has taken the group of 25 women from St Joseph’s Parish Church, in
Upton, more than seven years to reach the figure in partnership with
Liverpool Seafarers Centre.
Elliott Harding was invited to visit his local Specsavers store in Heswall
to receive a bottle of champagne, a certificate and a £150 glasses voucher.
He took the opportunity to try Specsavers’ innovative Framestyler
technology to help choose a new pair of specs, ahead of the next round
of judging.
Elliott says: ‘My partner encouraged me to enter the competition and
I’m so pleased to be picked as a regional winner! I love wearing glasses.
When I was younger I felt a bit self-conscious, but as I got older I learnt to
incorporate them into my style. I’ve been a hairstylist for seven years and
I love helping people to feel good and give them a boost of confidence.
Finding the right glasses and the right haircut can make a huge difference
to how you feel about yourself.’
Robert Byrnes, director of Heswall Specsavers, says: ‘It was a pleasure
to meet Elliott and present him with his well-deserved prizes. We’re
absolutely delighted that he has made it this far in the competition.
Everyone at the Heswall store wishes him the best of luck and we will all
be rooting for him over the next few weeks.’
The awards were launched by Steps star Claire Richards earlier this year. If
he triumphs in his age category, Elliott will meet Claire and rub shoulders
with many other celebs at the glitzy awards ceremony at London’s 8
Northumberland Avenue in October.
There are five age categories – 16-24; 25-34; 35-44; 45-59 and over 60, plus
a Facebook favourite voted for by the public. All age category winners will
win a VIP makeover, with one overall winner taking home the ultimate
accolade in specs wearing.
10 wirrallife.com
Jackie Scanlon, who leads the initiative said the hats have ensured a
warm welcome to thousands of Liverpool-bound seafarers over the
years.
“We are all absolutely thrilled to have reached this milestone,” she said.
“We started off from very humble beginnings in 2011 when we were
asked to knit a few hats. It really took off and while not everyone in the
parish knits, many people got involved by donating wool and material.
When the seafarers arrive in Liverpool, they are often looking for some
form of comfort and respite, and with the cold wet conditions they
endure we have found that new, warm woolly hats go down a treat.
We never thought we would end up producing this volume of hats, but
the demand just keeps coming, and we take great pride in offering the
service.”
Mrs Scanlon has a strong connection with the British Armed Forces, as
a former RAF Cosford and RAF Lyneham recruit. Her son Andrew is a
former Royal Navy officer, while her father John, aged 91, is a Merchant
Navy veteran with long-term involvement with Liverpool Seafarers
Centre.
Liverpool Seafarers Centre (LSC) offers wide-ranging support to 50,000
seafarers who pass through the River Mersey Ports and berths every
year. The charity is an ecumenical partnership between the Apostleship
of the Sea (Liverpool) and The Mersey Mission to Seafarers. LSC CEO
John Wilson said the centre welcomes seafarers from all over the world
and is now preparing to extend across North West ports including
Silloth, Workington, Barrow and Glasson.
For further information contact John Wilson Tel: 0300 800 8085 visit
Email: [email protected] Website:
www.liverpoolseafarerscentre.org