A BEAUTY queen from Highclere has launched her own campaign which helps Kenyan schoolgirls continue their education.

Stephanie Wyatt was crowned as Miss Hampshire in May of this year, to add to her title of Miss Dorset.

However, a personal project also kicked off in May, as she began to send sanitary products to schoolgirls in Kenya who need them.

Stephanie said: “I saw on TV that when schoolgirls in Kenya get their period, they can’t come into school, so that’s why I decided to help them out. I got in contact with a few schools in the area and they seemed really open to the idea.”

Stephanie collects unused sanitary products from the community once a month, and then sends them out herself to the schools.

She added: “They can now go into school. I really wanted to help close the equality gap that there is in Kenya between the girls and the boys. It’s always a case of being able to do more.

“This particular project isn’t connected to my other fundraising works that I have been doing for the competition. I laid out a plan for myself a few years ago, and now I’m trying to help as much as I can.”

The next step for this project will be hopefully visiting the schools in October of this year.

The first round of the Miss England competition is coming up on July 26 and 27, and preparations are underway.

Stephanie will be representing two counties, in one of the first instances of this ever happening.

She added: “It’s an absolute honour to represent two counties and I’m really looking forward to competing.”