Charity Queens' Support for
THE COMMONWEALTH FAIR
Miss Commonwealth Fair 2008
Creative Arts Graduate:
Rachel
Ojarikre Wilson
Winners: 3rd, 2nd, 1st:
Nimisha Desai, Jayne Alison
Taylor, Rachael Ojarikre Wilson
Winners
of the first 5 places in the
contest to choose the very first Charity
Queen Of The Commonwealth Fair -
titled
Miss Commonwealth Fair 2008:-
From
left to right: Maureen Nyakaira (Uganda -5th), Saphire Bryson (Jamaica -4th),
Nimisha Desai (India -3rd), Rachel Ojarikre Wilson (Nigeria -1st), and Jayne
Alison Taylor (England -2nd)
COMMONWEALTH FAIR
The Commonwealth Fair is an
annual event of the Commonwealth Countries League (CCL) and its charity arm,
the Commonwealth Countries League Education Fund (CCLEF), held at the
Kensington Town Hall (Kensington, London W8), to raise money for the Fund. The
charity has a membership of 53 nations which comprise the Commonwealth. The
charity funds the education of disadvantaged girls in the Commonwealth. For
detailed information about CCL and CCLEF, visit their website at
www.ccl-int.org.uk.
The Commonwealth Fair 2008 was a two-day event: The
Gala Evening on 7th November, and the Fair Day on 8th November. This
prestigious event was well-attended and supported by the diplomatic circle,
industry professionals and celebrities, and it attracted tremendous participation from the
local and the wider global community.
MISS COMMONWEALTH FAIR PAGEANT
Born in October 2008,
The Miss Commonwealth Fair Pageant is a new pageant endorsed by CCL as
Miss Commonwealth Organisation's vehicle of participation in the promotion of
fundraising, round-the-year, for the Commonwealth Education Fund. The pageant
was formally launched at the Commonwealth Fair Gala Evening - November
7, 2008. Starting from 2008, the pageant is to produce a Commonwealth
Fair Charity Queen at each year's fair for the principal purpose of promoting
fundraising for CCLEF. Contestants for the queen's crown will also help
to sell charity raffle tickets in the run-up to, and at, each year's fair.
MISS COMMONWEALTH FAIR 2008
The pageant crowned its
first fair charity queen, Miss Commonwealth Fair 2008, at the above Gala
Evening. The new queen and four runners-up will carry out a programme of
fundraising events in their year of reign, and the proceeds will go to the
charity. The events and their modalities will be pre-approved by the charity.
Final
Contestant Line-Up
Eleven very friendly and
lucky Miss Commonwealth culture and charity queens made it, as finalists, to
the Commonwealth Fair Gala Evening Show Stage to compete for the crown
of the Commonwealth Charity Fair Queen and greatly entertained the large
multicultural fair audience of over 1000 people, including the diplomatic
circle, city professionals, various celebrities, among other dignitaries and
members of the local and the wider community.
The queens paraded the stage in exotic cultural costumes before changing into
sensational dress-to-kill evening wear for a talent interview in which they answered questions covering
knowledge of the Commonwealth and global social issues, etc.
Between their
appearances on the stage, the queens also
supported the Fair by helping to sell charity raffle tickets to the audience.
-Edited Line Up Photos awaited-
Show Host
The contest was
presented by the erudite, versatile and most distinguished Navrita Atwal,
Director of Racial Equality, Milton Keynes. Her opening speech addressed the
great significance of education to the social and economic wellbeing of any
community and the charity's invaluable contribution to the social development
of disadvantaged girls. Navrita took the opportunity to send a message of
congratulation to the USA President-Elect, Barack Obama. Navrita's succinct
and impressive speech received a rapturous ovation from the large audience.
Panel of
Judges
A randomly selected
panel of diplomats judged the contest and the panel's decision
was well received by all.
Crowning
The Fair Chairwoman, the
distinguished, cheerful and highly admired Mrs
Cecilia Muchemi, wife of the High Commissioner for Kenya, crowned the winner
of this inaugural contest. She congratulated the pioneer participants, and
gracefully presented gifts from the charity to the winners of the first five places, in
the contest.
Compelling Images from
the Fair
Entertainment Images
Choreographer
Choreography was expertly provided by the
highly talented Patsy White, organiser of the Miss Elegance Pageant.
Photography & Filming
Photography and Filming were officially
undertaken by the Tele Auditions Group. In addition, various media
photographers as well as MeBond Productions were in attendance.
Hair and Beauty
SheeDiva - Hair Stylist and Make-up
Artist - charitably sponsored the provision of face make-up and hair styling
services. SheeDiva is highly recommended by the pageant to all.
Acknowledgements
Miss Commonwealth
acknowledges, with gratitude, the opportunity afforded it by the Fair Committee
to contribute to the Fair and to be involved in the promotion of fundraising
for the education of disadvantaged Commonwealth girls.
Commitment
Miss Commonwealth Fair Pageant - Proud to be
a contributor
towards the promotion of Community Quality Of Life Improvement by working with
the charity in helping disadvantaged young girls "to achieve their rightful
place in society and to uphold their dignity as equal partners in society."
In recognition of
the need for the Fair to make a substantial donation to the Education Fund,
Miss Commonwealth is dedicated to the cause of helping to promote increased
fundraising, not only at the Fair, but also, year-round through activities to
be pre-approved by the charity.
Special Thanks
Our Special Thanks go to all who
supported the Fair and the Miss Commonwealth Fair Pageant. They include the
following:-
Sui
Chin McKeand, Commonwealth Fair Co-ordinator:
Her Excellency, Mrs. Cecilia
Muchemi, Commonwealth Fair Chairperson and wife of the Kenya High Commissioner
All the members of the
Commonwealth Fair Committee
Mrs Navrita Atwal, Director of
Racial Equality, Milton Keyne Council - Presenter of the Miss Commonwealth
Fair Pageant 2008.
Patsy White, Choreographer
Sheediva Hair Stylist and Make-up
Artist
Tele Auditions Group - photography
and filming
MeBond Productions - photography.
Original Contestant Line-up
Twenty Miss
Commonwealth's culture & charity queens had been identified to take part, as pioneer contestants, in the Miss Commonwealth Fair Contest.
The pageant wishes to thank all of them for their goodwill towards the Fair.
