Esmé has a winning eye for wild and wonderful specs
Post on 15th October 2025
A creative nine-year-old from Bourne End has her eyes on the prize after winning a competition to design a pair of glasses inspired by all things wild and wonderful.
Esmé Gumbs was presented with a fun model of her design, a panda soft toy, and a £50 toy shop voucher at Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care on The Parade.
Youngsters were encouraged to submit their designs with a wild and wonderful theme, highlighting the wonders of the natural world and the benefits that spending time outdoors brings to children’s eye health. All proceeds from the £1 entry fee went to Alzheimer’s Society.
Branch manager Shefali Ahmed said: “This competition was a fun way to encourage children to let their imaginations run wild and create wonderful, spec-tacular designs, while supporting our chosen charity, Alzheimer’s Society. Esmé did a great job and is a very worthy winner.
“More and more children have myopia (short-sightedness) and research indicates that contributing factors include increased screen time and not enough time spent outdoors. Our Design a Spec competition highlights the importance of regular eye tests and an active lifestyle to protect children’s developing eyes.”
Esmé lives locally in Land End and visited the Bourne End branch with her mum, Lisa Gumbs. She said: “We’re over the moon that Esmé won and she’s so proud to see her wild and wonderful spectacles design come to life. She spotted the competition when we were visiting the branch for our eye tests, which was her little sister, Mila’s, first visit to the optician. As soon as they saw the competition, they couldn’t wait to enter and set to work on their designs when we got home.
“Esmé loves colouring and was so proud of her slithering snake, leopard spots and zebra stripe creation. It’s been such a joy for her to try on her winning specs and be rewarded for her efforts!”
Family business Scrivens was established in 1938 and has 166 branches. For more information, visit www.scrivens.com