Going to great heights to help others

Tia Woodall, of North Shore, has raised more than £12,000 for various charities over the last few years.

Tia, who is 12, is the current Junior Miss Galaxy UK.

Kind-hearted Tia regularly takes part in beauty pageants and enjoys raising as much money as she can to help others.

She has carried out community work and challenges, such as a shoe-box appeal for children going into hospital, climbing Ben Nevis and running a rucksack project, collecting items for the homeless.

She has helped, among others, children’s hospices, homeless charities and the Honey Pot Children’s Charity.

Now Tia’s little sister Niyah, aged five, intends to follow in her footsteps.

She will also be climbing Ben Nevis, in August, with Tia and other family members, and is competing in her first pageant.

Proud mum Leanne said: “Mountain climbing has become a family affair, every week we are training.

“Niyah is competing in her first national pageant, she is currently representing Blackpool at Miss Natural Beauty Blackpool.

“This is a natural competition and encourages fundraising for Cancer Research.

“As her sister Tia is actively involved in fundraising and mountain-climbing, Niyah asked to also climb a big mountain.

“We have been training for three months as a family – starting with three mile walks up to 12 miles, around the Lake District.

“The kids love walking and managed to climb to the top of Snowdon via the Pyg trail and down the Miners path, we took lots of short stops.

“Niyah, her brother Reo who is seven and her sisters Tia and Ellie managed to complete the walk in six-and-a-half hours total.

“They loved it and managed to get up and down with no problems at all – in fact, on the way down they asked if they could climb the UK’s biggest mountain Ben Nevis, so this will be our next stop in August.”

Tia is planning to trek to Mount Everest base camp in April next year.

She is currently following an intense training programme to be fit enough to make the climb.

She has chosen two charities to support – The Christie Cancer unit in Manchester, and the Mount Everest Foundation which supports families and children in poverty.

The girls’ older sister, Courtney, aged 18, a hair and media make-up student and part-time model, also takes part in pageants and enjoys fundraising for charities.

• To find out more about Tia’s fundraising and community work, by visiting www.facebook.com/jrmissgalaxyeurope

• To support Niyah and her fundraising efforts, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/niyahwoodall