A BASINGSTOKE beauty is hoping to be crowned Miss England in a pageant this year.

After reaching the semi-finals of the contest last year, Nicola Ascroft, from Popley, is aiming to go one step further and take the top title of Miss England.

Nicola was crowned Miss Basingstoke in 2015, and has since picked up the buzz of competing.

The 22-year-old said: “Despite what many people think about these competitions, it is not just about people’s looks, as you see girls of all shapes and sizes taking part.

“It is such an addictive thing to do, and for all the right reasons as it has had such a positive impact on my life.

“For me personally I really like getting involved with the charity side of things, as it is really rewarding helping others and giving something back.”

Nicola, who co-owns the D&D beauty salon, in Sherfield Park, Hook with her mum Debs, raised more than £4,000 for various charities during her reign as Miss Basingstoke, and she hopes to achieve a similar figure in the run up to this year’s Miss England competition.

The competition is broken down into regions, where competitors are judges across different categories including, charity, social media presence, interview and talent.
Nicola won the charity and talent categories at the Miss Hampshire regional event last year.

She said: “With it being my first year last year, I was completely oblivious to what the competition actually entailed and how much hard work goes into the preparations.

“There will be a bit of expectation on me as I did so well in my first year, but if I keep focused I can go one step further.”

Nicola is hoping the community will support her, and she has already had the backing of local business Absolute Entertainment which is sponsoring her.
The date for the Miss HampshireMiss England event is yet to be confirmed, but Nicola’s campaign is already well underway.

Follow Nicola on facebook.com/MissBasingstoke2015.