A HAWORTH woman will this month compete in the finals of the Miss Voluptuous beauty contest.

Amy Walker, 19, will take to the catwalk in Warrington on September 29 for the competition for plus-sized role models, while trying to inspire others.

Amy said: “Miss Voluptuous is more than simply beauty pageant. It is a platform for doing good and spreading awareness for numerous causes. Every contestant has a platform and a cause they champion.

“My platform is body positivity, and bringing on a change in mental health struggles linked to body image. This is something I feel very passionate about.

“I lost my cousin to suicide and it broke my family completely. I would do anything to help other families avoid this tragedy.

“I teamed up with Missing Peace Mindset and Wellbeing, a group that ran in Keighley and helps those who struggle to speak out and get help.

“The groups are a chance to get together with like-minded people and socialise. There is no pressure to speak, but the help is there if needed and sometimes it’s just nice to listen and know you are not alone.

Amy said she was looking for local volunteering opportunities and wanted to campaign for positive change.

She added: “I hope to also run body image sessions for the younger generations and teach them to love themselves just the way they are.”

Miss Voluptuous will last an entire weekend, with finalists taking part in activities including packing handbags for the charity Refuge, which gives them to women who have nothing after fleeing domestic or emotional abuse.

There are also team-building and ‘mindset’ activities on the way to the Sunday evening pageant.