A ONCE shy student from Greenock is now brimming with confidence after seeing off thousands of rivals to make it to the finals of a major UK beauty pageant.

Kerri Hair is set to represent Inverclyde at the Miss Teen Great Britain in Blackpool later this month The 18-year-old will strut her stuff on the catwalk in front of a packed audience and will be competing with 60 other girls.

Kerri, a former Clydeview Academy pupil, said: “I was looking for something to build my confidence and found out about Miss Teen Great Britain.

“They encourage you to make appearances at charity events and I’ve appeared at fundraisers for MS Society, Ardgowan Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support and even helped out at a dog fun day, so I’ve done a few.

“I’ve been putting myself out there a lot more and it’s helped build my confidence.

“Now I’m so excited for the final in Blackpool.” Kerri is keeping a family tradition going as she is also following in the footsteps of her dancer and model sister Lauren, 21, a former holder of the ‘Face of Inverclyde’ and ‘Miss Scotland Perfect’ crowns.

Lauren, 21, who reached the final of Sky 1’s Got to Dance TV talent show in 2011, said: “My advice to her is just to enjoy it.

“It’s one of these things that’s amazing but it’s over so quickly and before you know it you’re back home.

“You have to make the most of it because you spend months building up to it.” Busy Kerri is studying psychology at Strathclyde University and is set to volunteer in South Africa next summer, splitting her time between teaching English to schoolchildren and working with cheetahs at a cat conservation sanctuary.

But in the meantime the Hair sisters have teamed up for a charity fundraiser at Lauren’s successful ‘Booty Bounce’ trampoline-based, dance fitness class.

As part of the Miss Teen finals — which take place on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October — Kerri has to try and raise some money for charity, so the pair are hosting a five-hour ‘bounceathon’ in the Victorian Suite, Greenock. They hope to raise lots of sponsorship money and have encouraged as many people to come along and take part.

The pair hosted a similar fundraiser last year with money going to Ardgowan Hospice and hope it will be even more successful on Sunday 18 October. For more information search for ‘Booty Bounce with Lauren’ on Facebook.