Alice Williams from the School of Design and Creative Arts originally submitted the illustration as part of a competition set by the Vice-Chancellor Professor Nick Jennings to design a Christmas card which was festive and reflected the University and its values. 

Although Alice was not one of the chosen winners, the Vice-Chancellor shared her design with the Chief Executive of Charnwood Borough Council, Rob Mitchell, who wanted to use it for his digital e-card. 

In recognition of this, Alice was awarded £200 by the Vice-Chancellor for her efforts.  

Alice commented: “Every time I walk into the town square, the Sock Man statue catches my eye because its form and atmosphere feels so tranquil. I built on that feeling to make the design, and to me, it's a perfect representation of Loughborough Town.  

 “I was very surprised when I got the email to say that the Borough Council were going to use my design. But how I feel now is just very proud of myself for designing something that people would like to buy. I already did a bit of commission work before hand but this has definitely pushed me to start to design my own independent work.” 

The Sock Man is an iconic, historic sculpture produced in 1998 by artist Shona Kinloch after the Council held a competition. It is located outside Loughborough’s Town Hall, and represents the heritage of the town’s hosiery industry.