On Wednesday, two ‘stand out’ Warrington residents were given a special treat when they attended a reception in Number 10 Downing Street to celebrate local business champions up and down the country.
Brothers Christian and Ross Laing from Latchford were invited by Warrington South MP Andy Carter, in recognition of their hard work and charitable efforts in running their business, Stand Out Socks.
Christian started Stand Out Socks back in October 2021 to raise awareness and offer opportunities for people with disabilities in the workplace, as well as to give his brother Ross, who has Down’s Syndrome, a steady job.
During their visit the brothers met with the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, who was hosting the reception and was presented with his very own pair of Stand Out socks. The Chancellor praised Christian and Ross for their hard work and commitment, and thanked them very much for their kind gift.
Andy Carter MP remarked: “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Latchford-based Christian and Ross to Downing Street to celebrate their achievements over the last 18 months with Stand Out Socks and the fantastic work they do to promote positivity towards people with Down’s Syndrome in Warrington.
“Not only have they created a business selling a brilliant range of colourful socks, they’ve also teamed up with other social enterprises, linked in with some of the biggest soccer teams on the planet and even hosted their own radio show!
“I know the Chancellor also really enjoyed chatting with Christian and Ross and was very grateful for his gift – I’ll be checking he’s got his Stand Out socks on the next time I see him at the Despatch Box in the House of Commons.”
Christian and Ross Laing said: “It was an absolute honour to be invited down to the nation’s capital to be celebrated for our efforts starting our family business. Our company, Stand Out, has the potential to help so many other families in not just in our community but across the UK, both by offering employment and also hope for the future.
“For this to be supported not only by our local MP Andy Carter but also the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, lets us know we’re on the right path. We know we can rely on both Andy locally and also those in the Government’s highest office.
“We’re not a charity or a CIC, we’re a business to be taken seriously, acknowledged and recognised, so this means everything to us. We don’t receive any Government grants or donations so rely completely on the sales of our products.
“If people would like to support us you can head to our website www.standoutsocks.co.uk"
