Young changemakers in Dorset are being urged to enter a contest which could lead to a life-changing £100,000 prize.

Contestants in the We Do Ethical awards will use their ‘lockdown’ fashion skills to make and model eco-friendly outfits made entirely from recycled materials found around the home.

Combined with raising money to facilitate tree planting, the initiative will help support the government’s target to make the UK completely carbon neutral by the year 2050.

The young contestants will win a brand ambassadorship with We Do Ethical, run by Dorset-based sustainability expert Kelly Levell.

They will also have the chance to win regional titles across the south west for the official Mr & Miss England contest.

The contest, which is open to 16 to 26 year-olds, is the only route to enter Mr & Miss World from this region and its £100,000 prize.

Last year’s award winners included Alina Green, 21, a fashion design student at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), who holds the current title of Miss Dorset, and Liam Royce Ulla, 25, kite surfing champion, and founder of Coacoara Foundation who was crowned Mr Dorset.

Both work as brand ambassadors for We Do Ethical, a not for profit organisation which was founded in 2009 by Kelly who graduated from AUB with a BA (Hons) degree in Fashion Studies ten years ago.

Alina and Liam will represent Dorset at the national finals this year as a result of their hard work and dedication, embodying the contest’s ethos of ‘Beauty with a purpose’ and raising thousands of pounds for causes close to their hearts.

Kelly was an early adopter of the sustainable fashion movement and launched We Do Ethical to help stop fast fashion.

The aim of the ethical awards aim is make the south west more sustainable in order to help support a carbon neutral planet through tree planting pledges.

Kelly said: “With political commitment and the right resources, young people have the potential to make the most effective transformation of the world into a better place for all.”

This year’s awards will be presented online due to Covid-19 and are held in association with Plastfee Eco Sanitary Pads.

Contestants will have the opportunity to meet like-minded friends, gain confidence, learn new skills as well as tackle eco-social issues with the award sponsors, partners and charities throughout the year.

Anyone can also join in the fun by pledging trees to help support the cause or by sharing a photo in their best green outfit for a mention on social media, using the campaigns hashtag: #WearitGreen

Closing date to apply for the contest is July 20.

For more information and to enter online, please click here.

We Do Ethical works with people and businesses to provide them with the knowledge and power to attain a C02 status.

The business provides a free carbon footprint offsetting tool that plants trees in order to reduce global warming and to implement sustainable development for people, planet and wildlife.