Dame Prue Leith and Christopher Biggins were among stars who helped to wrap the Royal Albert Hall in a mile-long scarf knitted in support of a dementia charity.
More than 100 volunteers aided in putting the giant scarf around the entire circumference of the concert hall in South Kensington, London, on Friday after The Lewy Body Society appealed for people from across the country to pick up their knitting needles and contribute to the project.
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.
The individual scarves are to be distributed to homeless charities across 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.
Actress Susan Hampshire, who has starred in TV shows such as The Pallisers and The Forsyte Saga, attended as the hall was wrapped, having cared for her husband Eddie who lived with the disease 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.
“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, also lent a helping hand to wrap the scarf around the 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.
“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.”
