Teen lives beauty queen dream!

Vanshika, 14, who attends Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College, was crowned Miss Junior Nuneaton 2016 in April.

She competed against 20 other people for various titles in the competition, which is part of the Miss Coventry and Warwickshire Awards.

Vanshika, a Year 10 student at the Newbold school, said: “It has been such an amazing journey and I have never felt so proud to be showing my Indian culture to Warwickshire.

“Issues that are important to me are the elderly, animal cruelty and the environment and winning the competition has been a brilliant platform to help me raise funds and awareness.”

Vanshika has been supporting the Beauty with a Purpose charity, Zoe’s Place in Coventry, Myton Hospice and the WWF.

“I love supporting Myton Hospice and also WWF because I believe it is important for the elderly to receive the best care they can get since they have done so much in their life to help our generation,” she said.

“WWF is important to me because all animals are beautiful and do not deserve to be treated in any harmful way.”

Vanshika is encouraging other girls to enter pageants, which are as much about personality as looks.

She said: “I believe this journey can be for any young girl to follow because I didn’t think it was possible for me.

“My advice would be just go for it, you don’t know until you try and trying is the most important bit - even though I thought I couldn’t do it I still pushed myself.

“I think it is hard for any young person to feel confident because media does have a major effect on how we see ourselves. I am here to say to anyone feeling unsure, that it really is OK to be different.”