Miss World NZ finalists raise $36k for Brave

The finalists of Miss World New Zealand 2019 have raised more than NZ$36,000 for Brave, the Beauty with a Purpose project which placed second-equal at Miss World 2018.

Brave is a charity founded by the current Miss World Oceania of New Zealand, Jessica Tyson. The charity works towards educating and helping young New Zealanders affected by sexual violence.

Tyson says, “I’m so proud of how hard the girls worked in order to raise so much for Brave. Not only did they raise a significant amount of money, they also raised a lot of awareness around sexual violence in different communities around New Zealand, helping the lives of so many young people affected.”

Throughout the Miss World New Zealand competition, between January and June, the finalists organised their own unique events to raise funds for Brave, including sports tournaments, car racing days, charity quizzes, bake sales, fashion shows and more.

“The girls also joined me to educate people about sexual violence during visits to community groups around the country, including schools, rotary groups and retirement villages, says Tyson.

“The best part was being able to speak to people of all ages because sexual violence affects people of any age. Many of the elderly told us they were so proud to see that the topic of sexual violence is becoming easier to talk about today compared to when they were younger.”

The funds raised will go towards travel expenses to continue the activities and projects run by Brave. This includes visits to schools and community centres around New Zealand to speak to people about sexual harm.
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“I’ve also chosen a selection of the contestants to become ambassadors for Brave. This means they’ll get to travel the country with me and get even more involved,” says Tyson.