Isobel Lines was crowned Miss Black Country 2020 on 3rd June 2020 as she became the first ever Miss Black Country to be virtually chosen due to the current COVID-19 outbreak. The 19-year-old is a Sports Science Student from Wednesbury and now an official delegate of Miss England 2020.
Isobel is a Mental Health a Suicide prevention ambassador, raising awareness for the cause after her school friend Viren Patel from Stuart Bathurst Catholic High School passed away. During lockdown, Isobel continued her charity and community work, raising thousands of pounds for charities including; Papyrus, NHS and Beauty With A Purpose (the designated charity for Miss England). Isobel has also been volunteering for the Midlands International Aid Trust, distributing PPE (Face Visors) for local care homes and keyworkers including Acorns, Aldridge Nursing Home and the YMCA Carters Green.
‘’During school, we were never taught about Mental Health, I believe this played a strong role in my friend’s death. Thankfully, as of September, it is compulsive for schools to educate students on Mental Health following the National Curriculum changes. I wish to use the title as a platform to normalise Mental Health and help as many people who have suffered with what I have”, she says.
Isobel has suffered with Acne since sixth form which she believed may have impacted her chances within the competition. In 2019, Miss England introduced the ‘Bare Faced Round’ to encourage women to be confident within their natural skin. For Isobel, this was a challenge as her natural skin was a mentally pressurized topic. However, both last year and this year, Isobel opened up about her struggles and submitted the images after almost deciding not to.
Isobel has been competing in Miss England for 4 years but has never previously won a regional title. She first competed for Miss Black Country at 16 years old. In 2019, she was successful in reaching the Finals after placing Top 5 in Miss Birmingham and winning the Publicity round. This year, Isobel returned for one final time, competing in the Midlands Heat and was finally successful. ‘’I am beyond overwhelmed. Competing for 4 years and raising over £6,000 for charity has been an incredible journey but finally winning a regional title means so much to me. It feels like a massive weight off my shoulders”, she said.
Away from Miss England, Isobel is a well-known Equestrian rider, specializing in Showing and has competed at the Horse of the Year Show - the World’s Most Famous Horse Show for 8 consecutive years, as well as the Royal International for a consecutive decade. She is also the Chairwoman (2 years) of the University of Worcester Equestrian Club as well as working at the YMCA in West Bromwich.
The Miss England Final 2020 will be held at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham at the end of October. It may be held as a social distanced event or potentially virtual, depending on the government’s advice.