Showing posts with label beauty with a purpose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty with a purpose. Show all posts

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

The Importance Of Charity

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:

·         Work bake sale
·         Run the ABP 10k this Sunday
·         Attending the Champneys Forest Mere charity and fundraiser press day on May 7th
·         Fundraising for BWAP and St Christopher’s Hospice at Bookers & Bolton Garden Party at the end of May
·         Run half-marathon
·         Work with CF Trust to campaign for more awareness of cystic fibrosis

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

·         Sleeping homeless for Trinity
·         Running the ABP Half-Marathon
·         Raised awareness of CF with the “strawfie” challenge
·         Completed the Wheelchair Awareness Challenge by walking through counties up north
·         Played wheelchair rugby with the England team
·         Held a raffle for my local hospital’s cancer ward
·         Presented at my local hospital’s charity fashion show
·         Presented local council’s recycled fashion show
·         Numerous cake sales
·         Garden fete for charity

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

Friday, 8 April 2016

Watch Me Shine

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 2nd 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:

“Just so you know I never doubt you. I do enjoy the competitions as much as you (even if I do moan sometimes).

“I know how much they mean to you, how much work you put in, how much you really enjoy taking part and making lots of amazing new friends. I’ve seen your confidence grow and grow in these competitions and you now believe in yourself more than ever which is the most important thing. Every time you step out onto that stage I feel so proud of you and I do realise how lucky I am to have such an amazing and beautiful girlfriend like you.

“I will support you every step of the way."

Tuesday, 12 January 2016

Miss Hampshire 2016 Contest Launches

The search is on for Miss Hampshire 2016.

Women from across Hampshire can now apply for this year’s Miss Hampshire regional finals.
The final will take place Saturday 12 March at the Alton House Hotel in Hampshire which has easy transport links from Southampton, Winchester and Basingstoke.  

The winner will have the opportunity to represent Hampshire at the Miss England National Finals later on this summer.

The contest also offers a photo shoot working with the wonderful and talented David Freeman Photography to all finalists.

Last year’s Miss Hampshire winner Larissa Hirst placed in the top 15 out of 20,000 entrants in 2015 entries by winning the fast track Brainy Beauty Award at the national finals held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Larissa will be on hand to give Hampshire entrants this year all her tips and advice on how to win.

The event will feature a record number of award rounds:

1.       Miss Beauty With A Purpose/Charity
2.       Miss Popularity
3.       Miss Social Media
4.       Miss Publicity Queen
5.       Miss Talent
6.       Miss Eco-Queen
7.       The David Freeman Photography Award
8.       Miss Brainy Beauty 

The overall Miss England competition was won by opera singer and student Natasha Hemmings from Cheshire.

Former contestants have since gone on to be signed with BMA Models, as well as appeared on Britain's Next Top Model. Others have become national charity ambassadors, with former Miss UK Kirsty Heslewood earning her the Freedom of the City of London because of her charity work.

Entrants must be 17-25 years of age on December 31st this year, and must not be/ have been married or a mother.

To enter, please send a photo along with your name, D.O.B, location and occupation to misshampshire@yahoo.com or visit www.missengland.info/regional

More information can be found on the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-Hampshire-2013/436841923058926

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

Beauties With Purpose



Charity is a huge aspect of the Miss England competition and I believe it is the true foundation of being a beautiful individual. I asked a number of titleholders what charitable activities they are involved in and what Beauty with a Purpose means to them.

Stephanie Hill Miss South Yorkshire 2015 and Miss England Talent Winner 2014

As a direct result of winning Miss Talent 2014 I was able to start my own performance business 'Practically Perfect Princess Parties and Performances' from my winning 'Frozen Inspired' performance.

The Frozen franchise has been incredibly popular and has a huge following, so I thought it was an obvious decision to use my business for fundraising purposes with such a universal target market. I am working with the Miss England Office to promote their headquarters as a venue; The Sanctuary Workshops is such a versatile establishment which can cater for any client's needs. The venue can be used for weddings and other functions, as a rehearsal space, and is frequently used for classes such as yoga and other physical activities. The Sanctuary Workshops was the perfect setting for my 'Afternoon With Elsa', with an added bonus of featuring an ice white decor to really create the magic for the children who will be attending!

'An Afternoon With Elsa' featured a sing-a-ling performance, 'Build Your Own Snowman', Frozen-inspired party games, face painting and much more! Through running my children's party business, I have been able to experience myself what the target audience expects from an entertainer, so I am hoping the event met everyone's expectations and encouraged as much support as possible for Beauty With a Purpose!

The official Miss World Charity, Beauty With a Purpose, will be receiving the proceeds from my event. The work that is done by the candidates who fundraise for the cause is astonishing; and it is even more rewarding to see the results of the incredibly hard work the fundraisers contribute to the charity. As a student studying Radiotherapy and Oncology, I have assisted medical teams and witnessed children receiving treatment for cancer. Knowing that the proceeds raised from Miss England have funded projects that have benefited children undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-changing conditions is so wonderful, and being able to campaign for the charity from a cause so close to my heart makes every effort to raise money even more worthwhile. Beauty With a Purpose helps disadvantaged children, whether the children be suffering from an illness or be suffering from poverty, the funds raised go to an essential cause. Through hosting an event specifically aimed for children, the children who attend will be supporting other children all over the world, and hopefully they will enjoy themselves while doing it too!"

Emma Briggs, Miss Popularity Forest & Fens & finalist in Miss Lincolnshire:

To raise money for Beauty With a Purpose I have done a 15 mile sponsored walk, produced a charity cover of Fix You which is on sale on BandCamp and I have also sold some of my clothes on eBay with all profits going to the charity. I am really inspired by the work the charity has done so even if I do not win this round, I am going to continue to raise money for BWAP! Myself and the current Miss Nottingham, Rebecca Drysdale, have joined forces to organise a charity dinner and ball which will be held on Saturday, August 1st at the Hilton in Nottingham. Profits made from ticket sales will be donated to the charity as well as any money from raffle ticket purchases on the night. We are in the early stages of organising this so there may well be more going on on the night to raise even more money to help BWAP continue their amazing work!! If I do win the Popularity round or Miss Lincs I will be planning more events in the run up to the national final as well!

Briony-Mai Reynolds, Miss Cornwall 2015:

I am hosting a Beauties vs Beats Paintball Day, and as well as Beauty With A Purpose I am raising money for Help For Heroes as all the males in my family are military or have been at war.

Alex Ross, Miss Forest & Fens 2015:

I've been raising money for BWAP by busking and I will also be raising money for Cancer Research in the lead up to the finals, as well as obviously the crown charity challenges too. I've got a few things in the pipeline but they aren't set in stone so I'll have to get back to you on those. I'll be taking part in a charity boxing match for BWAP soon as well.

Me:
  • Helped fundraise £3,300 for Southampton Hospital Charity through presenting and modelling at a recent fashion show.Raised £1,024 for Southampton Hospital Charity through running the ABP Southampton Half-Marathon and equally raising £1,024 for Beauty with a Purpose.
  • Raising awareness of Cystic Fibrosis Trust currently
  • Slept homeless for Trinity Winchester as part of the campaign “The Big Sleep Out contributing to grand total of £18,000 raised from all donations.
A wise owl once told me that it is with beautiful actions that we change the world. And these words could not be truer. It is so rewarding to see hard work and compassion put to use to alleviate poverty, provide healthcare and give education.

I have worked with a number of charitable organisations: Wintercomfort, Kidney Research UK, YOPEY, Age UK, Naomi House & Jacksplace, Trinity Winchester, Cystic Fibrosis Trust South, Macmillan, Southampton Hospital Charity and of course BWAP.

I work very closely with Southampton Hospital Charity, especially the oncology unit. I suppose going through what my family did has given us, me, a real sense of purpose to make a difference in the world. I got involved with the hospital after a very close family member was treated there, which I fundraise for and have recently presented and modelled at the hospitals charity fashion show and ran a half-marathon for it.

So I know first-hand just how much these vital funds and proceeds raised from Miss England contestants will fund brilliant projects benefiting children. Nobody should have to live with cancer, especially not children.

Visiting those wards and watching people have chemotherapy was harrowing. But all I had to do was watch and see, and it made me realise how brave and courageous everyone suffering from cancer is - but for children to have that disease is heart-breaking.

However, we can beat cancer through our fundraising, and more people survive now than ever before.

I am honoured to support charities like BWAP and SHC that are so close to my heart because they have allowed me to grow into the person I am now a better person that I am proud to be. BWAP has truly allowed me to become the very best version of myself at the same as saving children worldwide from suffering, sickness and poverty and I can't thank the organisation enough for giving me that opportunity.

So what is beauty with a purpose? I believe it is about being the very best you can be, and giving your heart and compassion to others. Be strong, be an example, be kind. Get back up when life gets you down and bring others up around you. The greatest trait humanity has is our huge capacity to love, so giving back, helping others and just being a moral and good willed person is a purpose to be here, a purpose to live life. A purpose to be considered beautiful.

Friday, 20 March 2015

Beauty with a Purpose in Hampshire



The Hampshire contestants of 2015 raised collectively nearly £10,000 - smashing the previous Hampshire targets by thousands!

A number of contestants chose to raise money for the official Miss World charity Beauty with a Purpose (BWAP), which helps countless amounts of children around the world, and their local communities. From supplying water, to building houses, supplying books and holidays, BWAP is a truly unique charity that has even been acknowledged by the late Nelson Mandela and music mogul Simon Cowell.

Many contestants also fundraised for charities very close to their heart, so I wanted to share with you our efforts and stories on how and why we fundraised for these amazing causes.

Louisa Emery - Miss Social Media Hampshire 2015

"I raised money for Naomi House & Jacksplace in memory of Jayden Wilson. Jayden sadly passed away from a brain tumour on Christmas Eve. I chose to raise money for this following the 'hope for Jayden' story on Facebook. It was a really heartbreaking story and I never thought it would come to an end. So far I've raised £1839.82 that I will continue to raise throughout the year. I raised all the money with a charity fun day at my local pub. We had a bouncy castle, face painting, charity waxing,a raffle, auctions, charity head shave and also a band in the evening. It was a very successful day."

Larissa Hirst (Me) - Miss Hampshire 2015, Miss Eco, Miss PR & Miss Popularity

I decided to fundraise for Southampton Hospital Charity before I entered Miss Hampshire, and realised what I could do for the charity if I won the title so this was my main motivator for the competition. The fundraising I'm doing is for the Hamwic Ward, where 85% of chemo patients at the hospital receive treatment. I'm fundraising as my boyfriend had treatment in the ward after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in October 2014. After Ian had a round of chemotherapy at the Hamwic Ward we both felt that the ward and the hospital deserved some recognition for the brilliant work they do.

Nobody ever expects to have cancer, especially aged just 26, but we hope we can raise awareness of the disease and help the people who helped us so much during Ian's journey of diagnosis, surgery, chemo and after care.

I'm fundraising by running the Southampton half-marathon next month, as well as a number of upcoming events and challenges, so stay tuned!

Alice Cutler, Miss Hampshire finalist 2015

As well as BWAP I raised money for Cancer Research UK. I have a very personal story associated with the charity as my Dad unfortunately passed away from cancer when I was 9 years old. During Miss Hampshire I began to collect money for the Race For Life which I am doing in June and have so far raised £50! I also intend in the future to organise some events at David Lloyd Ringwood where I work, with help from the club to raise money, if they are willing to do so! I also plan to do another charity swim, as well as training for other sporting events such as cycles and runs which are in the pipelines! Fingers crossed I can organise this all and raise a lot of money for this very special charity in future.

I'll be adding to this piece as we all continue with our hard work and fundraising so keep an eye out! :) x
Copyright © 2015 Larissa Hirst