A midwfie from Cwmbran is in the running to win £10,000 after reaching the regional finals of Specsavers’ Spectacle Wearer of the Year competition.
Jessica Laidlaw, 23, who has been wearing glasses since she was 12-years-old, entered the competition after spotting it on Facebook. She is now in with a chance of winning £1,000 worth of new glasses from Specsavers, along with £10,000 cash.
She said: “Initially, I wore my glasses because of my poor eye sight, but now that I’ve been wearing them for years, I’ve realised that they’re like a fashion accessory to me.
“I’ve always felt really comfortable in glasses and think it’s great that Specsavers is highlighting that having poor eye sight doesn’t mean you can’t feel beautiful or glamorous. I hope this inspires other young women to feel confident in their lenses too.”
To mark her achievement so far, Ms Laidlaw was invited to her local Specsavers in Cwmbran Shopping Centre, where she was presented with a bottle of champagne, a certificate and £150 to spend in the store.
The 2017 awards were launched earlier this year by multi-platinum pop star, Nadine Coyle, who won the ‘Best Specs Newcomer’ award at last year’s event.
There are five age categories in the competition – 16-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-59 and over 60s, plus a Facebook favourite voted for by the public. The winner from each age category will be announced at a celebrity-studded awards ceremony in London on 10 October, and will also enjoy a VIP makeover.
Rhys Williams, director of the store, said: “It’s fantastic to meet a young woman who feels so confident wearing her frames. Hopefully, her attitude towards glasses will inspire others to feel the same way about wearing lenses.
“From all of us here at the Cwmbran store, I’d like to congratulate Jessica on getting this far in the competition and wish her the best of luck in the next round of judging. We hope to see her wearing the winning crown in the final.”
For each entry made £1 has been donated to Kidscape, adding to the £400,000 that the campaign has raised for the anti-bullying charity over the last six years.
The money raised will help to support Kidscape to provide training, support and advice for children, parents, schools and those who may be affected by cases of bullying and abuse in the UK.