A FORMER pupil of St John’s School, Marlborough has reached the semi-finals of the Miss England contest.

It means that Isis Flack is just one step away from the Miss World pageant and she wants to use the opportunity to support a charity close to her heart.

She said: “Sight Savers encompass something I truly hold very dear. While going through my GCSEs and A-Levels at St John’s I found out that I was progressively losing my sight, and would eventually become blind if I didn’t have urgent invasive surgery.

“I had to undergo three intensive six-hour operations on my eyes before I was blessed with the near perfect vision I have today.

“I went from being unable to see the leaves on trees, or watch rain fall, to being able to count those very same things. The charity Sight Savers provides life-changing cataract surgeries, as well as other sight treatments in areas where healthcare is either too expensive or access to it isn’t feasible.”

She is putting in plenty of training to be as fit as possible for the contest and to raise charity cash. She said: “As soon as the announcement was made I started a fundraising programme.

“ I’m running 5km a day for my duration in the contest, so basically until I win Miss England, or I’m eliminated, for the charities Sight Savers and the Miss World fundraiser Beauty with a Purpose which aids disadvantaged children all over the world.

“Progressing to the Miss England Final would mean the world to me. It would be incredible to represent Wiltshire and especially Marlborough on a national and even global level. To be able to represent and give back to such a memorable community would be an honour.”

A virtual semi finals will be held on July 31 and will be live streamed. But people can vote in advance and the contestant with the most votes will be fast tracked to final which will be held at the end of October in Birmingham.

Isis had been living in central London until the coronavirus outbreak but moved back to the family home in Marlborough in mid March.

She said: “Being back in Marlborough has given me a well deserved breather from the never ending fast-pace of London, and has thus grounded me.

“It would be incredible to represent the county of Wiltshire as well as Marlborough. Growing up in Marlborough and being a part of this wonderful community gave me opportunities that have moulded me to the person I am today, the way only small country towns can.”

She is being sponsored by Sticks and Stones in Woodborough, near Pewsey. Go to https://www.missengland.info/qualifiers/semi-final/#tab-livestream