'I want to inspire young girls with this pageant'

Philippa Mackinder is hoping to become Miss Voluptuous International

Miss Voluptuous England has told of her excitement at taking part in an international competition that helps empower plus-sized women.

Philippa Mackinder, from Goole, East Yorkshire, will be in the final of the Miss Voluptuous contest in Doncaster later this year.

It comes after she was crowned with the England title, and will include women who have won national rounds in countries around the world.

Ms Mackinder said she had been reluctant to take part in the competition due to a lack of confidence, but realised she wanted to inspire other young girls.

"I first applied about three years ago but ended up not following through with the application process because of my confidence, but then I kept seeing adverts for it and thought, 'No, I'm going to do it'.

"When I got the email saying I had been selected for Miss Voluptuous England, I cried for about four hours.

"I was just so excited to show all the young girls that there is light at the end of the tunnel. If I had the chance to meet my younger self, I would say everything will be OK and your body is not defined by the scale."

Ms Mackinder said she had struggled with self-confidence over the years due to being bullied at school.

But she said she now embraced who she was and "doesn't care what people think anymore".

Philippa Mackinder wants to inspire young girls

"I suffered a lot of bullying and didn't want to go to school, so locked myself away, and I think that did have a really huge impact on my self-confidence," she said.

"It has only been the last few years that I've really pushed myself out there and now I don't care what people think... I know I'm doing this for me and for all the young girls who felt like me growing up."

The finalist said the turning point came when she was in a shop and wanted to get a dress that had a leg slit in it.

"I thought people were going to laugh and poke fun but then I thought, 'No, it's my favourite dress', and ever since then I've bought and worn what I wanted and not been worried what other people will think."

Ms Mackinder is now preparing for October's final.

"The final will be split into different sections, including us having to create a costume of our nation," she said.

"Mine is going to link agriculture and England as I come from a farming family. [It] will replace what would normally be a swimsuit competition, which I think is fantastic."

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