A THURROCK teenager is hoping to make waves by the seaside in a national competition.

Borough girl, Lilly Bradley, has won an invitation to a place in the grand finals of Miss Teen Great Britain 2023, finishing ahead of competition from across the country to be named as one of the finalists.

Lilly is 15 and currently at Gable Hall School.

Mum Nadean Rjtland has spoken of her pride in her daughter and hopes that local folk will support her in her bid to make the grand finals and challenge for the national title.

Nadean says: "To secure her place at Blackpool she needs to secure sponsorship of £350, she has received £200 from two people so far but still needs £150. She also wants be be out in the community so is looking at asking if any homes for the elderly need help or anything like that. She's got such a big heart bless her."

Anyone who would like to help can contact Nadean by email at [email protected]. Anything donated above the £350 mark will go to Lilly's chosen charity, 'Together for Short Lives', which is a charity to help support families of children with life limiting disabilities

Lilly says: "I am so grateful to make it this far in the competition, the experience I will gain from this journey is amazing."

The grand final of Miss Teen Great Britain will be held in 2023 in Blackpool.

The weekend of Miss Teen Great Britain is set to be full of fun, with the finalists enjoying a Beauty Queen Challenge Day, a pyjama diva party and much more!

"Making it to the grand finals will be such an achievement, I am so thrilled to be able to represent my hometown and compete for the crown," added Lilly.

Lilly is fundraising for Together for Short Lives, and they'd really appreciate your support.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to Together for Short Lives, so it's the most efficient way to give - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

You can donate to their JustGiving page by clicking here https://www.justgiving.com/page/lilly-bradley-1679044578938?utm_source=Sharethis&utm_medium=one_page&utm_content=page/lilly-bradley-1679044578938&utm_campaign=pfp-email&utm_term=a6d0690b18bd467e9294d8e24528000b

JustGiving sends your donation straight to Together for Short Lives and automatically reclaims Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer, so your donation is worth even more.