Molly delighted to raise funds for charities’ ‘life changing work’.
A LOCAL teenager, in her role as Miss Warrenpoint, is raising funds to support mental health services.
Molly Spiers (19) won the Miss Warrenpoint 2024 competition at the end of March at Number Seven Duke Street in Warrenpoint.
She will now go on to compete in the Miss Northern Ireland 2024 final at the Europa Hotel in Belfast on 27 May.
The winner of Miss Northern Ireland 2024 will go on to compete at the Miss World competition in 2025.
“It still feels surreal. I couldn’t believe it when they called out my name! Being a part of Miss NI is such an amazing opportunity.
“I am so excited and honoured to have been made a finalist and given this platform to reach so many people,” she said.
Molly resides in Annalong and is a past pupil of Kilkeel High School and Banbridge Academy.
She currently works part-time as a maths tutor for secondary school students and will be attending Ulster University in the autumn to study Renewable Energy Engineering.
As part of her role as Miss Warrenpoint, Molly is raising money and awareness for the local mental health programmes at The Well and Regenerate Mental Health Hub in Kilkeel.
“I have always been a huge advocate for mental health, and getting the chance to raise funds for two charities who do life changing work around this was a no brainer,” she said.
Molly said she has benefited from attending therapy sessions at Regenerate and wanted to give something back to those who helped her.
“Nearly all places who offer therapy or counselling have got over six-week waiting lists. These six weeks could be crucial to someone who is struggling with their mental health, and it is so vital for them to get the help they need,” Molly said.
“Raising money can allow charities to bring in more mental health workers or allow them to open more days a week to support those people who need it most. These two charities are local to me, so I know where the funds will be going and how much of an impact they will make. As small charities, it is hard for them to raise the funds they need to keep working; I’m so thankful I have been able to help keep them up and running.”
To raise money, Molly has set up a GoFundMe page (gofund.me/c5c63b68) and organised a raffle, which will be drawn on 11 May.
“To buy raffle entries, you can donate directly to the GoFundMe and I will enter you, or send me a wee message on Instagram (@molly_spiers) and I can send you my PayPal. Entry is only £1. You won’t receive an actual ticket, but I record all the entries and the winners will be chosen randomly,” she said.
“Some of the prizes include: a three-course carvery for two at the Harbour Inn Annalong, a one-hour makeup lesson with Paddy McGurgan Makeup Pro Store in Belfast, £50 Nu Delhi Indian restaurant voucher, The Galley Annalong £20 voucher, Mondays Child welded jewellery experience £30 voucher and many more. There are 21 prizes in total!” Molly said.
She also held a coffee morning on Saturday at Mourne Nutrition, located at Bridge Street, Kilkeel.
“On Saturday, we raised £700 alone, just from the coffee morning, bringing my total funds raised to over £1,050! I am so pleased with this, as my initial goal was £600 and I never imagined reaching that, never mind exceeding it so greatly,” Molly said.
“The coffee morning ran from 10am to 2pm and there wasn’t a quiet moment all day. I never expected so many people to attend, but it just shows how supportive the local community have been. I’m so thankful to be from such a tight-knit community, who are really rooting for me to do well!
“I couldn’t have done it without all my beautiful waitresses Samantha Spiers, Emma Spiers, Evelyn Marsh and Caroline Bailie,” Molly said.
Raising money for charity is part of the Miss Northern Ireland “Beauty with a Purpose” campaign that contestants take part in.
“Beauty with a Purpose is the main message behind the Miss Northern Ireland Contest. We want people to understand that it’s more than pretty dresses and makeup – it’s a way to raise awareness for so many issues in today’s society and work alongside so many amazing charities.
“The Beauty with a Purpose work is optional, but all of the girls have been doing amazing work raising awareness and funds for their chosen charities,” Molly said.
“It really is the most rewarding part of being a Miss NI finalist. People may think it’s just a beauty pageant, but between 28 finalists we have raised tens of thousands of pounds and great awareness for so many charities across Northern Ireland and beyond.
“The main charity Miss NI raises money for is the NI Hospice, so we do lots of fundraising and events for them, which is fantastic.”
Molly said she is looking forward to taking part in the Miss Northern Ireland finals at the end of the month.
“I’m so excited for the final weekend and all the events leading up to it! I’m taking everything day by day, as it is so hectic. Between charity work, content creation, photo shoots and days out, I have a busy month ahead of me.”
Molly wanted to thank everyone who has supported her fundraising efforts so far.
“I do want to thank everyone in the local community who have helped me put my coffee morning and raffle together. I wish I could name them all but it would take me all day. Everyone has been so supportive and I couldn’t have done it without them,” she said.
“The most important thing is, I really want to share my message about mental health to as many people as I can.
“There is such a stigma around it, and it’s so hard for people to talk about it or reach out for help. There are so many people who want to help you and so many resources you can use to get back on your feet.
“I’m really honoured to be a Miss NI finalist, but if doing this allows even one person to reach out for help, talk about their problems or feel better, I’ll have won, regardless of any crown or title.”