A teaching assistant from Hallfield School is hoping to take the crown in Miss Birmingham this weekend.
Sian Kent from Great Barr, who has worked at Hallfield School for four years, will compete against a number of hopefuls at the final round of the competition which takes place at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre in Birmingham on Sunday 18 March.
A late entrant into the competition, Sian impressed judges with her stellar application and was catapulted straight to the finals within a week of applying.
Speaking of the competition she said: “I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve considered it but never had the confidence to go for it.
“Working with young children in a school has grown my confidence immensely. The youngsters I work with look up to me as a role model so I knew I had to do it for them, to show them not to be afraid of going for their dreams.
“Being crowned Miss Birmingham and to make it through to Miss England would be a dream come true. I’d use the title to do more charity work with disadvantaged children locally and eventually nationally.
“I was born and raised in Great Barr and have a real love for Birmingham so to represent this city would be amazing.”
Sian has already raised money for the competition’s charity – Beauty with a Purpose – through donations and holding a charity tuck shop at Hallfield, and has plans to raise more funds with a car wash and car boot sale at New Park Farm in Bassetts Pole, Sutton Coldfield this Saturday 17 March.
Beauty with a Purpose is the Miss World charity aimed at helping disadvantaged children locally, nationally and globally. Over the years, the Miss World contestants have set up Beauty with a Purpose projects in more than 100 countries, giving thousands of young women every year the opportunity to use their abilities to make a real and lasting contribution to the lives of the sick and disadvantaged.
Sian aims to raise funds for the charity in order buy specialist wheelchairs and equipment for disabled children in the Midlands.
“I have enjoyed fundraising and look forward to doing more in coming months. It’s amazing how people come together when there’s an important cause at the finish line. I get a buzz out of helping others, particularly young people, it’s what I live for and why I took the route into teaching.
“This competition is not just about beauty. It is about the person you are, what you can do and more importantly how you can help others.”
Before starting at Hallfield School, Sian spent time working at a special school where she got to work closely doing one on one teaching to help her pupils achieve their goals.
She is also an experienced camp leader, having spent four months in Vermont, America, where she organised and taught a range of activities to six to nine year olds including hiking mountains, canoeing, making fires, and developing essential life skills for outdoor pursuits.
Richard Batchelor, headmaster at Hallfield School, said: “We’re very proud of Sian and all that she has achieved so far.
“Sian has always been passionate about helping others and working with children and she has the full support of everyone at Hallfield.”
Voting lines are now open.
Find out more here or donate to Beauty with a Purpose via Sian Kent here.
