Christopher Biggins, Dame Prue Leith, and Dame Prue Leith were some of the stars who wrapped Royal Albert Hall in a mile-long scarf knitted to support a dementia charity.
After The Lewy Body Society asked for help, more than 100 volunteers helped to wrap the scarf around the entire circumference the South Kensington concert hall, London on Friday.
The challenge, named #AScarfForLewy, was a way of raising awareness and symbolising the wraparound support available for those living with Lewy body dementia – a condition which affects movement, thinking skills, mood, memory and behaviour.
More than 100 volunteers were involved in wrapping Royal Albert Hall (Roger Brown).
Individual scarves will go to the homeless charities of the capital.
Dame Prue, TV presenter Anne Robinson and Coronation Street’s Paula Wilcox gave their backing with their own knitted contributions as bystanders watched on while the venue was given a new accessory.
Susan Hampshire, an actress who has appeared in TV shows like The Pallisers or The Forsyte Saga was present as the hall closed. She attended because she cared for Eddie, her husband, for 12 years, until his death in 2021.
“This was a wonderful project – not only was it a unique way of raising awareness of Lewy Body dementia but brought so many people together through knitting,” Hampshire said.
The scarf was over a mile in length (Roger Brown).
“I know first-hand how challenging it can be looking after someone with dementia, so it was wonderful to speak to other carers on the day.”
Biggins, 73 years old, also helped to wrap the scarf around Royal Albert Hall.
It is estimated that around 100,000 people in the UK have Lewy body dementia, a condition that The Lewy Body Society’s chief executive said is “often misdiagnosed”.
Jacqui Cannon said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Prue and her fellow celebrities for their contributions, and to all the knitters up and down the country and internationally who’ve got out their needles in support of A Scarf for Lewy.
Susan Hampshire and Christopher Biggins were among stars showing their support (Roger Brown)
“We’ve been blown away by the support and the finished product, which has given the Royal Albert Hall its own big hug.
“The aim of the scarf is to showcase the huge amount of wraparound support that we can offer those living with Lewy body dementia and their families, as it’s so often misdiagnosed, and not enough people know about it.
“We hope more people will become aware about the condition and show their support to families affected by the disease through this unique event.”