'I've been selected as Miss Brighton 2023 - and I wanted to show people that nothing should stop you'

Hi I'm Poppy a 20 year old student teacher and I have become Miss Brighton 2023 and will be representing Brighton in the Miss GB finals in October.

I entered Miss GB for a number of different reasons the first being to do something out of my comfort zone as it is important to try new things and I have always loved following pageants. The other reason was to show other people with lifelong illnesses like Crohn’s disease, which I have, that is doesn’t need to stop you and you can take as many opportunities as you would have before the illness!

As part of the pageant system I am rasing awareness and campaigning for Crohns and Colitis UK. This is a UK based charity supporting those affected by IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at the age of 15 and with ups and downs I am campaigning for others to understand the symptoms and get tested earlier.

In the run up to the final I have also been sharing and creating posts on my social media @missbrighton2023 and organising a charity yoga class which will take place in Brighton with all proceeds going towards Crohns and Colitis UK.

Visit the NHS website or Crohns and Colitis UK for more information about IBD.