Larissa Hirst

As my campaign for the Miss London and Miss Hippodrome draws closer, I wanted to share with you all the importance of charity work and fundraising as part of the role of a Miss England contestant.

I think for many who look in from the outside, who have never given the Miss England organisation a chance or judge based on misinformation, such competitions labelled beauty pageants can be seen as very self-deprecating and materialistic. 

However, being involved in Miss England has given many young women up and down the country a brilliant platform to showcase local charities and community projects. It helps generate press and interest in campaigns, and by offering your time and services, you are really giving back to society.

I have a few charity bits and bobs in the pipeline, including:

In 2015 and 2016 I completed a number of charity challenges, including:

My charity goals over the next few years include running the London marathon and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

I’m really excited to meeting all the Miss London and Miss Hippodrome finalists, sponsored by Badarians Property Management, and I am really looking forward to meeting the charity ambassadors who will be telling us all about their amazing work and how we as contestants in the competition can help their wonderful causes.

xxx

While one woman holds the title of Miss England for the year, there is an army of supporters, of loyal friends and family, who have supported them. After all, it is a team effort.

So I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank my supporters. Thank you for fundraising with me, and text voting for me. Thank you for cheering me on during my charity runs and helping with my eco-wear. Thank you for all the support, and not thinking I am crazy when debating different shades of red for a dress. Thank you for taking me to places to help with my campaign. Thanks for coming to shoots, photographing me and giving me opportunities I didn’t even think I could get! Thank you for being so supportive, both physically being there and mentally. You all know who you are!

This year more than ever, I have faced questions about why I would want to re-enter the Miss England contest. And I have found it hard it, especially from some of those closest to me.

The contest has been in one way or another part of my life since I was 19 years old, so it would feel like a big hole in my life if I gave it up altogether. And I think that is the best way of describing it to people. If you told a football fan they weren’t allowed to support their team anymore, how would they feel? And someone who loves cooking or baking, if you told them they couldn’t go in the kitchen more, how would they take that?

I wouldn’t say Miss England is a hobby, but it has been part of my lifestyle for a long time now. It has made me really aware of how we can help others every day in small and large ways, and opened up lots of doors and opportunities for myself.

No matter what, I will always be involved in some way. But if the age limit has been raised, then why not go for it? I believe in taking every chance possible, and yes there was some self-doubt. What happens if I don’t get a grand final spot? What happens if I don’t do as well as last year? What happens if people don’t think I am good enough?

When I first started with Miss England, I was a teenager and I was very afraid of what people thought of me. I am the type of person who really wants to be liked, and my boyfriend would probably say I am a bit of a people pleaser. But now I am older, I kind of don’t care anymore. If people judge me for doing this, and for coming back, so be it. I am not scared. It is an opportunity to embrace.

And what has really spurred me on is messages not just from my supporters, my close friends and family, but from other contestants. I have received amazing support from girls in the Miss Hampshire contest – Channon, Isobelle and Yasmin as well as all the other girlies. I have seen such lovely comments from Hayley, a former Miss Hants, and Laura my catwalk buddy from 2015, as well as messages of support from Natalie and Rachel – both fellow Miss England 2015 alumni. I have had chats at great length with a number of girls, like Miss Sussex Lucy Kent,  my two Charlotte’s Miss Surrey and Miss Rickmansworth, and Abi Hill the new Miss Northumberland. Abi and I go back years and just prove that girls keep fighting for the opportunities our competition gives us.  Just this week Miss Cheltenham 2^nd RU Amy Brown wrote a brilliant blog mentioning myself and that gave me a real self-esteem boost.

There will always be doubters, even those who love you may slip and start to worry. Miss England takes up a lot of time, and it takes dedication from them too. But they are only caring about you, making sure that if you do trip and fall, that they can be there when you dust yourself off. It takes real guts to enter Miss England, but it also takes nerves of steel to be there throughout a girl’s journey. It is gut wrenching to watch your loved one on stage I imagine. So thank you for caring and thank you for all your support.

And as for those doubters who just doubt, just stand back, watch me take a chance, and see me shine! :)

Update: I sent this to my boyfriend and he responded with: