Swapping gauze for glamour and scrubs for gowns , pediatric nurse Rebecca Sinnarajah is one of 12 Miss England finalists who has her sight set on winning the prestigious Miss England title
Words: Tina Edward Gunawardhana
Photographs: Courtesy of Rebecca Sinnarajah
For 23 year old Brit Sri Lankan Rebecca Sinnarajah, life is a rollercoaster. Having applied to compete in the prestigious Miss England beauty pageant in 2020, Rebecca along with the other contestants discovered that the global
Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on their plans. However, undeterred the organisers of the Miss England pageant came up with novel ways to advance the pageant in the new normal using Zoom and other virtual platforms to conduct contestant interviews, catwalks and talent segments. Rebecca was inspired to apply for the competition by Miss England 2020 winner, 24-year-old junior doctor Bhasa Mukerjee, who also became the first South Asian to win the title.
Rebecca, a qualified pediatric nurse in a central London hospital had to walk a tightrope of attending to her job as a front line worker in the NHS while competing in the pageant. A daunting feat which she executed with intelligence, compassion, calculated responsibility and aplomb.
The daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants who left Sri Lanka many decades ago, Rebecca is using her platform as a Miss England contestant to campaign for better conditions for her NHS colleagues and also as an advocate for those with mental health issues. Being a woman of colour and a professional, Rebecca was on the radar of the British media who interviewed her many times for juggling her work as a nurse during the pandemic and continuing to compete in the pageant while raising much needed funds for ‘Beauty with a Purpose’, the charity of her choice. With days to go before the grand finale to be held in the Heart of England, if she wins Rebecca hopes to use her role to make a change in the lives of those less fortunate.
What made you want to compete in the Miss England pageant?
For me this competition is more than just beauty, it’s about being an inspirational woman. I want to be able to help others and I know this platform will enable me to do that. My purpose of joining this competition is so that I can bring my Beauty With a Purpose to a global platform which is to raise mental health awareness in children and young people. I have seen this in my training as a nurse and now as a practising registered nurse. I want to be a voice for these children. I want to be able to inspire other young people like me and help others. I can also use this platform to campaign for NHS pay rises. Taking part in this pageant will enable me to also learn more about myself and take on opportunities that come my way. Apart from that, this will help me in building up my confidence.
