Meet the Derbyshire woman competing in pageants to raise awareness of child bereavement

Nikita Wilson, who will compete in the international finals of Miss Natural Beauty later this year, has already raised over £600 with event throughout the year.

Next month Nikita, 24, will collaborate with COSH (The Community of Shirland & Highland) to host JuneFest – a family fun day aimed at raising £1,000 to be split between COSH, to support future events, and Giddo’s Gift: a charity improving the lives of teenagers and young people suffering with cancer.

The event, held at Shirland Village Hall, will take place on June 24 with DJs, live singers, an indoor bar, and even a reenactment team popping along to provide plenty of entertainment.

It’s a free, family-friendly, event for the community but Nikita is hoping to match their fundraising tally from last year’s event of £1,000.

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She said: “This year I’ve teamed up with COSH so we’ve got a bigger venue that’s indoors and outdoors, there’s going to be birds of prey, a bouncy castle, all sorts.

“The chosen charity Giddo’s Gift is what the pageant supports so I’ve been supporting them all year – and it’s something I feel lots of people can relate to because we all know someone who has been through cancer at some stage (in their) life.

"We had a big turn-out last year and it was raining, we’re hoping to raise at least £1,000.”

A week beforehand, Nikita will be tackling a skydive to raise funds for Child Bereavement UK. A charity she fundraises for in memory of her younger brother who died when she was just seven years old.

Nikita explained that winning the international competition in July would enable her a platform to campaign for more support in the local area.

She said: “I would be able to do a lot more fundraising for my personal charities - Child Bereavement UK - there isn’t much support for bereaved families in our area and I’d love to fundraise for that and go to MPs about that but having that platform makes it a lot easier to speak to those people and open up some doors.”

JuneFest takes place at Shirland Village Hall on June 24 between 10am and 4pm.