A young woman from Anglesey hopes to break down socioeconomic barriers by competing in this year's Miss Wales. 21-year-old Melissa Cain from Amlwch came from a disadvantaged upbringing. According to Melissa, as a child she was given hand-me-down clothes and didn't get her first mobile phone until she was 18 years old.
Her mother would earn just enough to put food on the table. Now, Melissa who is a geography student in Liverpool, hopes to use the Miss Wales competition as an opportunity to show young girls and women from similar backgrounds that they too can do anything they set their mind to. Every year, the winner of Miss Wales is chosen over a three-day event which involves various events such as a charity ball and a catwalk show. The winner then goes on to qualify for Miss World, which is said to be the longest and largest pageant in the world.
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