Caring volunteer Elinore Pheasant is showing that size doesn’t matter as she competes in the Miss Galaxy UK competition.

Elinore, 23, of Rainworth, a dress size 20, is one of the first plus-size people to reach the competition stages of the leading beauty pageant.

She will represent Nottinghamshire at the UK final in March.

A volunteer at Mansfield’s Jigsaw Support Scheme, a care organisation in the town, Elinore has spent a lot of her time caring for her grandmother, Betty Akers, who has Alzheimer’s and dementia.

She said taking part in the competition — she was previously a Miss Sherwood Forest finalist — had helped give her her spark back.

“At the beginning of 2019 I was in a very low place mentally and hated the way I looked, I had lost my passion about anything, even singing, which used to bring me so much joy,” she said.

“I have gained a significant amount of weight, going from a dress size 16 to a size 20, due to me having Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which affects my hormones and weight — causing me to lose my self-esteem.

“There are so many women who suffer with it and do not speak about it.

“Being a larger lady and wearing size 20, I felt amazing that a pageant wanted someone of my size on their stage.

“I have been in a rough place but just getting the email saying ‘you are accepted’ means so much to me.

“My confidence has grown throughout my journey, attending events and helping so many great charities in Mansfield such as Jerry Green, Jigsaw Support Scheme and the soup kitchen. I’ve had so many great experiences.”

Through getting the Miss Nottinghamshire Galaxy title and attending the charity events, Elinore came into contact with a young woman who was suffering with mental health and issues with her body image.

She says the pageant work inspired her to offer worthwhile advice, sharing her story and her battles with body image to inspire the woman to believe in everything she has achieved in life.

“I met her in person to tell her face-to-face she is indeed a beautiful person, no matter her size,” she said.

“It’s not what’s on the outside but the inside that counts, and she’s done so many amazing things with her mum and in her community to be proud of.

“I truly believe I’ve made a great new friend. Going into 2020 I already notice a difference in myself, I have my spark back. I found joy in helping others and accepting myself as I am.”

Elinore, who is a size 20, has also turned her attention to supporting the Alzheimer’s Society through the charitable work involved in the competition, in a bid to support her grandmother, and says it has helped her regain her passion for life.

She added: “I am not gunning for the title and I am just happy to be a finalist.

“I have found my voice through this. It does not matter what size you are and how you look. It is what you put into the community.”

Elinore is fundraising for the Christie Charitable Fund, a cancer hospital in Manchester.

The winner of Miss Galaxy UK will go on to compete in Miss Galaxy International in the USA.