Pageant Queen supports Deaf Awareness Week

Ashleigh Russell, who was crowned Ms Pageant Girl UK in July 2023, started learning BSL as an alternative method of communication when her hearing began to deteriorate.

Ahead of Deaf Awareness Week which runs from May 6-12, the 31-year-old from Rawmarsh said: “People are surprised when they realise that I didn’t start learning BSL until last year.

“I always got by on lip-reading and didn’t get a hearing aid until I was 25 - I got my second one this year and so now wear them in both ears which has been a big help.

“BSL is very important to the Deaf community as it’s our language and now that it’s an official language on a par with spoken English, I think it’s really important that as many people learn it as possible to help it thrive.”

Ashleigh, who uses BSL in her social media posts, will also be running the AJ Bell Manchester half-marathon on May 26 to raise money for the Doncaster Deaf Trust and the National Deaf Children’s Society.

She added: “Both charities do such amazing with deaf children and I want to contribute to inspiring the next generation of deaf children.”

Follow Ashleigh on Instagram at @mspageantgirluk and make donations to either the Doncaster Deaf Trust or the National Deaf Children’s Society, via her JustGiving page = www.justgiving.com/team/ashleigh-russell1-half-marathon.