A YORK girl, who reached the final of Miss England 2021, has been recognised for her ongoing charity work since taking part in the competition.

Jennifer Carless was crowned Miss England WASUP Queen at the 2021 finals - and has been working with the charity MIAT (Midlands International Aids Trust), which helps provide humanitarian aid around the world.

Jennifer has established her international work with the WASUP charity - and last year, through her hard work and dedication, was given the title of ‘Chief International Ambassador’ for the cause.

York Press:

Through her charitable efforts, Jennifer received the ‘Gatrad Travel Bursary’ to Pakistan , allowing her to take part in medical work experience and to further her charitable efforts internationally.

Jennifer travelled with the charity OPSA (Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal), a Hull based charity which went out for their 49th annual 'Cleft Camp'.

As an aspiring doctor, Jennifer said she was "honoured" to be given this opportunity.

She said: " I hope my visit highlights what can be done to help people worldwide through a dedicated group of people. I want to say a massive thank you to the OPSA team for giving me opportunity to learn and gain invaluable medical work experience learning from such an inspirational group of professionals.

"I'd like to thank Dr Ijaz Bashir and family for making my stay so comfortable and memorable - and to MIAT for giving me this opportunity, which I hope this is one of many visits.

"My mission is to make a continued difference not just in Pakistan, but worldwide."

While in Pakistan, Jennifer visited numerous schools educating children about the WASUP charity, dangers of single use plastics and how they can make a difference in their communities, but also promoting the importance of the younger generation going into STEM careers.

Jennifer also went to the University of Gujrat to present lectures to environmental students on climate change and how we can make a difference internationally together.

Following on from the work Jennifer does in the UK, in Pakistan, Jennifer also helped pack and distribute food parcels for Ramadan to the poor, distributed glasses to patients with poor vision to help them see again, visited a women’s health centre that the charity has set up and opened a water pump in a small village, Sooklan, so the remote communities can have access to fresh clean water.

York Press:

Jennifer also does a lot of charitable work in the NHS, distributing face masks to a hospice during the Covid-19 pandemic, learning British sign language, taking a student first aid course and taking part in a suicide prevention course.