Young women in Monmouthshire are missing out on the chance of representing their county on the Miss Wales 2011 stage.

The closing date for applications is midnight on January 14 and competition organiser, Vibe, is encouraging Miss Monmouthshire hopefuls to seize the opportunity and apply whilst they still can.

Director, Paula Abbandonato, said: "We have watched so many girls grow in confidence and have fun through our regional heats that we want as many girls as possible to take advantage of this opportunity."

The finalists of Miss Monmouthshire will be tasked with a series of fundraising initiatives for The Joshua Foundation - a charity that provides holidays and experiences for children with terminal cancer.

The Miss Wales 2010 competition raised £60,000 and organisers are hoping that this year will be even better.

The winner of Miss Monmouthshire, the two runners up and the public vote winner will qualify for the Miss Wales competition in Cardiff this summer.

The current Miss Monmouthshire, Sophie Webster from Chepstow, won the title of Best Dressed in the final of Miss Wales 2010.

Since leaving sixth form at Monmouth Haberdashers last summer, Sophie has been travelling to South Africa, Berlin and Paris.

To enter the competition the candidate must be Welsh, between 17-24-years-old, and never been married or had children. To enter visit www.misswales.co.uk