Ashlea in the running for Miss Caribbean UK pageant title

A former Bury St Edmunds woman is celebrating her Cayman Islands roots as a Miss Caribbean UK pageant finalist.

Ashlea Smith, 27, who grew up in Bury and attended King Edward VI School, is delighted to have been selected given it is her first pageant entry and the upheaval of Covid-19 meant heats could not be held.

Now, she has until September to build her campaign before the finals in London. She has chosen to promote the physical, social and mental benefits of sport and exercise, while raising money for The Perfect Day Foundation, which offers sport development for young people in Zambia.

“This is a first for me as I’ve never done a pageant before and I’m more of a tom boy than anything,” said Ashlea. “I had visions of it being like the film Miss Congeniality, but it is so much more than that.

“It has been a massive learning curve for me,” said Ashlea.

“I initially entered to represent the Cayman Islands, which is where I was born, and for me it’s been about connecting back to the island and taking on a new challenge.”

See Ashlea’s fund-raising page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ashlea-smith5 or follow her journey on Instagram @ashlea.jade_