Step up and shine scholarship finalists announced

Finalists for the inaugural Christofer Mann Step Up and Shine Scholarship have been announced - and the quality of entry was so high, there are now eight students competing to win rather than the planned six. Launched in partnership with the National Hairdressers' Federation and the Fellowship for British Hairdressing in memory of industry icon Christofer Mann, the scholarship will provide one student with a year of bespoke education and mentoring to boost their career. All eight finalists will now be visited in their salons for an interview before the final stage of judging takes place in March. "We had a fantastic response to the competition with scores of excellent entries, so much so that we had to increase the number of finalists from 6 to 8!" said Edward Hemmings. "It’s a testament to the passion for education around the country that so many young people have entered." And the finalists are... Melissa Timperley, Vidal Sassoon, Manchester Ollie Vines, Heaven Hair, Salisbury Eden Smith, Bliss Hair, Loughborough Harry Watson-James, Ocean Hairdressing, Cardiff Sophie Rane, Louise Kristina Beauty & Hair Studio, Brighouse Thomas Hughes, En Route Hair & Beauty, Wakefield Hannah Pettinger, NJUK Beautiful Hair, Chesterfield Andrea Williams, Locks and Lashes, Torquay