Neha Dhull, 23, a social worker from Oxshott is in the running to become the first British Indian Miss England. She currently works with vulnerable children, especially young girls that are victims to sexual abuse, or sex trafficking. She said, “I have dedicated my life to helping children and young people as I believe that children are our future”.
Dhullwas born and brought up in England but her parents are from India. While attending university in the UK, she was part of the Hindu society where she was part of the initiatives to empower Asian girls and to prevent gender discrimination. Dhull has helped in fundraising for Great Ormond Street Hospital and has been involved in teaching underprivileged children at a school in India.
She said that taking part in her first pageant was a daunting but enjoyable experience. She said, “I was so nervous. My parents are amazing though. I can’t stress how much I value my parents. The people there were really supportive about me taking part though. The Miss England organisation was very supportive and encouraging”. She added, “There has never been a British Indian girl that has won Miss England before, so this could really be about change”.
Dhull believes that she must use her platform to raise awareness for causes such as feminism and to take part in charity work for Beauty with a Purpose, which raises money for humanitarian projects across the world. She said, “This is my one chance to make a difference. I think for me to take part being a woman of colour was really empowering”.
As part of the pageant she had to take part in a general knowledge test and also design a dress made out of a recyclable materials. Speaking about the experience, she said, “When I entered the County Finals to be selected for Semi Finalist, there was an Eco Round and a General Knowledge test as well. Miss England Organisation wants to raise awareness of the importance of recycling and looking after the environment, which is fantastic”.
Dhull was selected as a semi-finalist for the competition on Sunday, April 22 at a pageant, which also saw a model from Weybridge crowned Miss Surrey. The 23-year-old, who lives in Kings Warren, will now take part in the semi-final of Miss England on July 3 at Kelham Hall.
