Bedford mum regional finalist for Spectacle Wearer of the Year

An early years practitioner from Bedford has beaten hundreds of applicants from the East of England to be chosen as a regional finalist for the renowned Spectacle Wearer of the Year Awards.

Theresa Parsons, a 51-year-old mum of three, came top in the 45-59 age category of the annual competition hosted by Specsavers in aid of children’s charity, Kidscape.

By becoming a regional finalist, Theresa, who works in a local school, has automatically won Specsavers vouchers worth £150 and a bottle of champagne

But she is now setting her sights on taking the title of overall Spectacle Wearer of the Year 2016 and is hoping to clinch the £10,000 cash prize plus a luxury holiday to New York for two.

Theresa was invited to Specsavers in Bedford to be presented with her prizes and meet with retail manager Lianna Lowe, who said: “The team is thrilled to see one of our customers going through to the next stage of the judging process.

“Theresa looks great in her glasses and wears them with pride. We wish her the best of luck in the next phase of the competition.”

Theresa, who decided to enter after noticing that £1 is donated to Kidscape for every entry made, shares her views on wearing glasses.

She said: “I first had my eyes tested when I was in my twenties and was told that I needed glasses, at the time I didn’t feel confident enough to wear them as I was quite self-conscious.

“I’ve now been wearing glasses for five years and I love them. I chose my glasses because I think they really reflect my personality - it’s great that there are so many different shapes, styles and colours these days.

“When I saw that Specsavers is fundraising for Kidscape through Spectacle Wearer of The Year I really wanted to find out more about the charity. I felt embarrassed about wearing glasses when I was younger and I know that other children may worry about that too, so it’s nice to hold my head high and champion specs wearers across the country.”

If Theresa triumphs in her age category of 45-59, she could meet former pussycat doll, Kimberly Wyatt at the celeb-packed awards ceremony at London’s 8 Northumberland Avenue on 11 October.