AN ALLOA woman will be representing the Wee County at a pageant in November.

Nicola Kirkpatrick will be heading to Chorley in Lancashire – at least, if the current restrictions are lifted by then – for the Miss United Kingdom Rose finals.

The pageant is about much more than beauty and the Clacks woman was keen to enter in a bid to challenge herself and build her confidence.

And since taking the first steps, Nicola has been looking to support a variety of good causes, backing campaigns and charities throughout the process.

During the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, she has been keeping busy by dropping food parcels off to the elderly and vulnerable locally, cleaning the beaches of plastic and has also delivered some toiletry bags to homeless shelters.

Nicola told the Advertiser: "Since entering Miss United Kingdom Rose I have completed my suicide prevention training course and mental health studies: Understanding Behaviour Burnout & Depression.

"I wanted to get more of an understanding for Mind charity as this is one of our charities Miss United Kingdom Rose supports.

"I have also become a dementia friend for Dementia Friends Scotland."

And she will be taking on the postponed Alloa Half Marathon for Mind and the pageant in a bid to raise money and awareness.

There are many other brilliant individuals involved with the pageant and the contestants have been supporting one another throughout the Covid-19 lockdown.

Meanwhile, they have also been fundraising and supporting online campaigns.

Nicola said: "Pageants are a lot of time and effort, but I love everything they stand for and I must say that my pageant family have help get me through isolation and I would be lost without them.

"If anyone is thinking they would love to do a pageant but are not to sure about it then I would say 100 per cent enter one.

"Anyone can and you might just be surprised on how much you will get out of it."

Visit bit.ly/3fpcaOW to support Nicola's Alloa Half Marathon fundraiser for the Mind mental health charity.