The family of a 21-year-old former beauty contest winner from Kent have said they are “utterly devastated” after she died following what they described as an “unforeseeable incident” during severe icy weather.
Eleisha Skinner, who previously held the title Miss Faversham, died on 8 January after being taken to hospital in Oxford. Her death has prompted tributes from friends, local organisations and members of the town’s carnival community, as well as a fundraiser launched in her name for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.
In a statement carried by local reporting, her parents, Nigel and Clare Skinner, said: “We are utterly devastated by the sudden loss of our precious girl.” They added: “Writing these words feels unimaginable, yet we want the world to know who she truly was: a kind, selfless, passionate young woman who always put others before herself. Nothing was ever too much for Eleisha. She had a heart of gold and a smile that could light up any room.”
The family described her death as following “an unforeseeable incident involving a parked vehicle” in severe, icy conditions. They said she was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where she “fought bravely” but did not recover.
The Faversham Carnival Club, which had worked with Skinner during her time representing the town, announced her death in a social media post and said it was shared with “deep regret and sadness”. The organisation described her as “a fantastic Ambassador for Faversham and a truly lovely girl”, adding: “We all have some lovely memories of our time spent with her.” It said she would be “missed by so many”.
A celebration of her life is due to take place on Friday 6 February at 2.30pm at the Faversham Parish Church, also known as St Mary of Charity Church, with a wake planned afterwards at Judd’s Folly, according to details shared in connection with the tributes.
In the days after her death, a GoFundMe fundraising page was launched by Clare Skinner in support of the Thames Valley Air Ambulance. The appeal described Skinner as “our Beautiful daughter” and said she “was in a tragic accident at the young age of 21yrs.” The fundraiser added: “With the amazing response of the emergency services, we were able to spend her last few days with her. The air ambulance doctor was fantastic, we would like to raise funds in Eleisha’s name to support this charity, so they can continue the amazing work that they do.”
By the time the page was viewed this week, it showed £3,681 raised towards a £4,000 target, with 135 donations.
Skinner’s death has also brought renewed attention to the fundraising work she carried out while holding the Miss Faversham title, which involves representing the town and supporting local causes. In an interview published during her year as Miss Faversham, Skinner and her mother spoke about selecting two local charities as the focus of her fundraising. They said the chosen causes were “Thomas’s precious journey with Lissencephaly” and the Faversham-based animal charity Happy Endings Rescue.
In that 2022 interview, Skinner described early fundraising efforts and plans for further events. “So far this year, with the help of court, we have held a tombola in town and taken part in the Faversham bike ride, raising over £600,” the interview quoted. “The next event is a family BBQ on 23rd July at Davington Cricket Club.”
The same piece quoted Skinner and her mother explaining why the charities had been chosen, describing Thomas as “23 months old” with “a rare life-limiting brain condition Lissencephaly”, and saying: “Little Thomas’s life is so precious and we want to give them the opportunity to arrange family days out or for equipment that he may need.” They also said: “Happy Endings Rescue is such an amazing place; they care so much about the animals but they cannot do it without donations.”
Friends and community members have continued to post tributes online, with many recalling Skinner’s presence in the local carnival scene and her work for town events. Comments shared in response to the announcement described her as “lovely” and a “wonderful role model”, while others said she was “such a beautiful and caring young lady” who “always smiled”.
While official details about the circumstances of the incident have not been released beyond what the family has described, the reporting around her death has emphasised the suddenness of the tragedy and the scale of the response from local organisations. The fundraiser launched in her name has linked that response directly to the family being able to spend time with her in hospital and has framed the appeal as a way to support the emergency service involved.
The focus of the charity appeal has also underlined the role that air ambulance services can play across the counties they cover, with donations made in Skinner’s name being directed to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance. The GoFundMe page describes the emergency services response as “amazing” and singles out the air ambulance doctor as “fantastic”, as the family appeals for the service to “continue the amazing work that they do.”
Skinner’s public profile in Faversham grew after she entered the local competition and took on the role of representing the town at events and fundraising drives, activities that form part of the Miss Faversham title. The tribute from the Carnival Club positioned her as part of the town’s wider community network, highlighting memories of time spent with her and describing her as an ambassador for Faversham.
The CommunityAd interview from 2022 described how fundraising around the title involved raffles and local events and referenced support from residents and local businesses through donated prizes. In that interview, Skinner and her mother said: “We are passionate about raising as much money as possible for these two wonderful causes,” and added that it had been “so lovely to see the support we have had from the residents of Faversham.”
Those close to Skinner have said her goal was to use her energy and public role to help others, an emphasis repeated in the family’s fundraising message, which frames donations as a way to honour her memory by supporting the emergency charity involved in her care.
The celebration of her life in early February is expected to bring together family, friends and members of the local community. The Carnival Club’s tribute said the service would be held at the Faversham Parish Church and described Skinner as someone whose contribution to the town would be remembered.
