A GWENT girl is in the grand finale of a UK-wide beauty pageant with the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the USA.

Blackwood's Kayla Hicks has got through the early rounds to be the Galaxy Junior Miss UK and is one of 25 girls with a chance to not only win, but to make the international final in Florida.

Miss Hicks has already been crowned Junior Miss Blackwood and it is the first time she is in a national final whilst at the moment she is on a campaign to get as much support as possible.

Mother Yolandi Hicks said: “I used to do some modelling when I was younger and Kayla expressed an interest so I thought it would be good for her to enter.

“It’s been quite good for her so far and to get the final is really exciting, were looking forward to the final two day-long event itself in March.”

Currently the 12 year-old is looking to fulfil the criteria to get all five bonus-points in the pageant final through attending community days, making special appearances and raising money for the competition affiliation Christie Charity, which helps cancer sufferers.

Mrs Hicks, of St David’s Avenue, added: “She has been getting as much experience as she can in preparation of the final by going out to events and meeting people. The only previous time Kayla has been in a beauty contest was when she was announced as the Mini-Queen of a carnival in Blackwood, so its great life experience.”

Kayla Hicks, said: “I’m just very excited to be in the final and can't wait to meet all the other girls in the final. I’m nervous but I know it will be a lot of fun.”

The Junior Miss competition, which is for 12 to 14 year olds, is the youngest of five age categories run as part of the UK Galaxy Pageant finals, which are to be held in Chorley, Lancashire.

The current Junior Miss UK also went on to win the World crown earlier this year.

Director of UK Galaxy Pageants, Holly Pirrie, said: “Kayla has done fantastically to get this far, it is very competitive this year and we have a group of 25 finalists from all across the British Isles.

“The girls put in so much effort going to different events and raise so much money for the Christie Charity, in the last couple of years we have raised more than £150k, which is just amazing.”

For more information visit galaxypageantsuk.com/, call 01925 767884 or email landi30hicks@hotmail.com