Hello everybody!
As a lot of you know I am a contestant in the Miss England Semi Finals 2016 st Kelham Hall.
If you have read my previous posts or followed my blog for a while you will know that I enter the Miss England competition every year. So far I have not won a title, but this year I came 1st Runner up at the Miss Buckinghamshire heat, which means I have a place at the Semis.
IMAGE BY DAVID FREEMAN
IMAGE BY DAVID FREEMAN
Over the past few months I have been raising money for Beauty With A Purpose (BWP) as part of the competition.
BWP is a charity that a lot of people have never even heard of, which is absurd as the work they do is absolutely amazing. Read on to find out why.
Founded in 1972 by Julia Morley, BWP aims to aid children around the world with disadvantages. this could range from disability, abuse and poverty.
In the past BWP has worked closely with charity organisations such as Variety and the Children's Charity, as well as helping to fund local projects such as a heart monitor to a children's ward at Lister hospital.
BWP is not just a charity solely for the contestants to use to gain publicity and points to win a title, but a charity that a lot of girls can relate to.
I have met girls in this competition that have experienced poverty, or disability and even domestic abuse. These girls have benefited first hand from charities like BWP so know the importance of fundraising.
I myself am lucky enough to not have experienced such things, but appreciate that they are out there and need to be tackled. Having a background in healthcare also I have developed a passion to help, and therefore took it upon myself to know the ins and out of this charity.
It's not just children that benefit from this charity either. This year the charity made a £10,000 donation to Age UK. This money helped buy over 500 of the elderly "winter warmth" packs which contains things like fleece blankets, thermos mugs, soup, hot water bottles etc. To many of us this might not seem like too much, but these packs were greatly beneficial to those who suffered most in the winter (bad circulation, illness etc), or even to those who were just having their heating fixed! Staying warm becomes more and more important as you get older, as you are more likely to develop illnesses that could result in long term hospitalisation.
Julia Morley and Nelson Mandela
A notable figure to come out of the Miss World competition that went on to become one of the most successful charity ambassadors in the world is The Miss World 1994 title holder, Aiswariya Rai. After placing 2nd at the Miss India competition, Rai had to step up and represent her country as the reigning Miss India went on to compete in a rival pageant. After winning titles such as "miss perfect 10" and "miss popularity, Rai took home the crown as Miss India World. Since then, Aiswariya has been very active in charity work along side perusing her acting and modelling career.
In 2005 Rai became a brand ambassador for Pulse Polio, a campaign designed by the Indian government to raise wariness and eradicate polio.
That same year she danced the HELP!Telathon Concert to raise money for the victims of the 2004 Tsunami. She is also a spokeswoman for PETA.
BWP is a wonderful charity. Not only does it help disadvantaged children around the world, but it also teaches the young women who enter the Miss England Pageants that there are people out there that are not fortunate enough to have half of the opportunities we are given, including food water and education. By encouraging us to fundraise, BWP acts as a gateway to carrying on raising money, not just for pageants. I know that I will continue to raise money for this wonderful charity whether or not I am a Miss England contestant.
Please take a look at the Beauty with a Purpose website, there is so much more to be said about this charity and stories to be told that simply cannot be condensed into one blogpost. Take a look at the history page to see all of the projects that BWP have been involved with!
if you like what you see and would like to donate, you can do so through my virgin money giving page:
Many thanks!
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