A BEAUTY queen from Tadley is hoping to take the Miss European title and raise awareness of diabetes.

Twenty-one-year-old Georgina Lawrence, who has been competing since she was just 16, is currently Miss Hampshire in the Crown and Glory European Pageant which takes place on August 13 in Ellesmere Port.

She said: “I have been in this pageant since before Covid, but it got postponed a couple of times, so I have been preparing for it for quite a while now. My parents didn’t want me to compete at all because they thought it would be a bad idea but after I convinced them they saw how good it was, how it made me a lot more confident, and I have gained a lot of friends and it is so much fun.”

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Although the competition isn’t until August Georgina has been working hard to impress the judges and help out in the community.

She added: “There is a wide range of things to do including helping in the community, this means that we can make appearances with our sash that count toward points, also helping out to raise money for the pageant charity which is Abby's Army.

“You don’t have to do this but I think it makes a lasting impression on the judges and then obviously preparing for the pageant including picking out the outfits and practicing your walking on stage.”

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She said winning the title would mean she could continue to raise awareness about diabetes and encourage other youngsters to look out for the signs.

She added: “It would mean a lot it is something I have been working on for quite a while so there is a lot that has gone into doing it. It would mean that with the title I can carry on doing the fundraising for my campaign and chosen charity, which means the world to me.

“It is Diabetes UK and I choose it because I am type 1 diabetic and more than anything it is good to raise awareness about it because I don’t think many people understand it.”

Georgina dressed up as an elf at Christmas to visit children who could not get out and see Santa because of Covid, she said “seeing their faces light up was just amazing”.

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