Hoping to impress in Miss England heat

Two beauty queens are hoping to impress the judges as they prepare to compete for this year’s Miss Nottingham crown.

Georgia Blades-Richardson, 18, of Collingham, and Sophie Anderton, 19, of Claypole, are among those competing in the Miss Nottingham heat of the Miss England competition.

Contestants at the event, being held at Kelham Hall on March 24, will be judged in four categories: popularity; eco-dress; charity; and publicity.

They will both be finding a number of ways to raise money for the Beauty With A Purpose charity.

An eco-outfit using recyclable materials with the theme Royal Wedding must also be produced.

Georgia is hoping it is a case of third time lucky after previously achieving two top-ten finishes.

The former Miss Newark is following in the footsteps of her godmother, Lady Angie Sinclair, who won Miss England in 1995.

Georgia said: “Having taken part before, I now know what to expect and what I need to prepare for the day.

“It isn’t all about competing against the fellow contestants. I have made some lifelong friends through these experiences.

“You have your Miss England family and it opens you up to opportunities you would never have got otherwise.”

'It has really helped my confidence'

Her experiences in Miss England events include completing photoshoots in London and cheerleading at a cricket match in Sri Lanka.

She said the confidence gained from taking part in competitions had been huge.

“At school I used to struggle with dyslexia and I didn’t want to read out loud or participate in class. Now I can speak into a microphone and to a large group of people so it has really helped my confidence,” Georgia said.

Sophie, who was last year’s Miss Sutton-in-Ashfield winner, was invited to compete for the Miss Nottingham crown.

She will also be raising money for Hope Against Cancer, with a charity bar crawl planned with fellow University of Sheffield students.

Sophie said: “I had never done anything like this before but I have really enjoyed being involved. You meet so many great people and it has helped improve my confidence,” she said.

“Miss England isn’t just a beauty contest. It is about being a positive role model in today’s society and helping others, as well as being beautiful inside and out.

“It is well known for its charity work, especially helping disadvantaged children across the country, and I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to hopefully represent my county in a pageant with such strong ethics.”

The winners of the East Midlands heat will qualify for the national semi-finals of Miss England.