A FINALIST in a ground-breaking heat of this year's Miss England competition is using the high-profile pageant to give back to the community which helped her and family at their most desperate.

Aminata Sow, aged 23, has been shortlisted for the first ever Miss All African Colours round in this year's Miss England 2021 competition which is exclusively for women of colour.

The theatre studies graduate said: "This competition is about breaking barriers and is making history.

“Miss England has never had a round in the competition like this. I’m immensely proud and excited to be a part of it. It’s given myself and the other women in the competition a chance to authentically represent ourselves and the communities that we come from!”

As a part of the competition’s pledge to ‘Beauty With a Purpose’, Aminata decided to fundraise for a local charity in Bolton, The Destitution Project, which supports refugees and asylum seekers.

Aminata and her family came to the UK when she was 11 years old as refugees through the gateway programme. She was born in Senegal when her family fled Mauritania.The family built a home for themselves in Bolton. She had to learn to speak English, as well as read and write in the language, before going on to securing a first-class honours degree.

Given the support and care her family received Aminata, volunteers with organisations to help others in need.

In only three weeks Aminata managed to raise a staggering £1077 through a combination of sponsored fundraising - including doing 500 squats in 27 minutes and a 15k run in two hours - and working with local retailers to donate food to the project.

Local supermarket Morrisons donated over £400 worth of food to the cause’s food bank, as well as PPE equipment for its service users.

She said: “Winning the title of ‘Miss All African Colours’ and securing a place in the Miss England final would be a dream come true and life changing for me, as well as the causes I am passionate about in my local community. I know that with this title I could make a real and sustainable impact to those who need it most.”

The ‘Miss All African Colours’ final is taking place in February for more information and how to back Aminata's bid to go through to the finals of Miss England, visit www.missengland.info/about-us/