MOEVIR Magazine September Issue 2025

[ Portrait of Purpose: Veronika Walker’s Record-Breaking Charity Journey ]

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/3155189

Photographer: Dreams Factory Photography @dreamsfactoryphotography

Model: Mrs Veronica Walker @mrs_veronika_walker

Make Up: Ania Giel Makeup

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Veronika Walker began a mission rooted in gratitude. When her twins were born prematurely, the neonatal team at Simpson’s Special Care Babies in Edinburgh supported her family through the most fragile days. In return, she asked her wedding guests to donate instead of giving gifts — raising £10,000 as her very first act of giving back.

What started as a personal thank-you has since grown into a record-breaking philanthropic journey. Today, Veronika has raised over £245,000 for charities — including Simpson’s Special Care Babies, DEBRA UK, Women’s Aid, and Cancer Research — marking one of the largest amounts ever raised by an individual in the history of pageantry in the UK.

Her story is not about crowns, but about impact. The title of Mrs Lithuania World 2025 gave her a stage, but her mission began long before. It was shaped by resilience — overcoming a difficult relationship, rebuilding her life in a new country, and transforming personal struggle into a global message of empowerment.

This Moevir webitorial would shine a spotlight on her record-setting fundraising, her recognition with the JustGiving Legend Award, and her nomination at the Pageant Industry Awards Gala (Charity category) in September. More than achievements, it would present Veronika as a modern woman of purpose: proving that beauty and strength, fashion and philanthropy, can exist side by side.

She arrived in the UK at 18 with £500, no English, and no safety net. Today, Veronika Walker is Mrs Lithuania World 2025 — and one of the most impactful fundraisers in global pageantry. With £245,000 raised for charity, she proves that true glamour lies not in gowns, but in grit, gratitude, and giving back. 

You’ve raised over £245,000 for charities — one of the largest amounts in global pageant history. What does that achievement mean to you?

It means everything, because it isn’t just a number — it’s lives touched. Every pound represents someone choosing to stand with me, to believe that glamour can carry a message bigger than sequins and stage lights. For me, £245,000 is not about records; it’s about proof that one woman’s story can mobilise thousands of others to give, to act, and to care.

Your fundraising began with a very personal act — asking for donations instead of wedding gifts after your twins’ premature birth. How did that moment grow into a record-breaking mission?

It started as gratitude. My twins were cared for by the neonatal team at Simpson’s Special Care Babies, and I wanted to give back in a way that felt meaningful. 

When £10,000 was raised at my wedding, I realised people respond to authenticity. That first act taught me that vulnerability can be powerful, and from there, my mission grew into something far beyond what I imagined.

Philanthropy is often difficult to sustain at scale. What drives people to believe in your mission and join you in giving?

I think it’s honesty. I don’t hide where I come from or the struggles I’ve faced. People recognise that I’m not just asking for support — I’m part of the cause myself. 

My campaigns are always about community, not about me. When people feel seen and included, they don’t just donate; they become part of the story.

Many people see the final number — £245,000 — but few understand the effort behind it. What does it really take to achieve charity fundraising on that scale?

It takes relentless commitment. Fundraising at this level isn’t glamorous — it’s hours of planning events, building campaigns, writing proposals, and constantly asking people to care. It’s not easy, and often it means hearing “no” many times before you get to a “yes.” But the difference is persistence. I treat charity work like a full-time mission, because lives depend on it.

“Fundraising at this scale isn’t glamorous — it’s relentless commitment, persistence, and treating charity like a full-time mission.”

Your editorials always balance strength and elegance — how do you define glamour in your own words?

For me, glamour is not about perfection. It’s about presence. True glamour isn’t the gown itself, it’s the woman wearing it and the story she carries.

Which designers or pieces make you feel most powerful when you step into the spotlight?

I love designs that combine structure with femininity — a gown that has drama but also strength in its lines. When I wear something bold, it feels like an extension of my voice: strong, unapologetic, but still elegant. Fashion should empower, not disguise.

Pageantry is often seen as just beauty. What do you wish people understood about the deeper mission behind your titles?

That a crown is not the end goal, it’s the microphone. Pageantry gives women visibility, but it’s up to us to decide what to do with that stage. For me, it has never been about looking beautiful for its own sake, but about using beauty to draw attention to causes, conversations, and communities that matter.

Your journey began with resilience — moving to the UK at 18 with £500 and no English. How does that experience fuel the woman you are today?

It fuels everything. When you’ve scrubbed floors for a living, when you’ve had no safety net, and when you’ve rebuilt after an unsafe relationship, you carry a perspective that no title can give you. It made me fearless in the face of challenge. If I could start from nothing and rise, then I can face any stage, any room, any opportunity.

When women see you in glamorous editorials like this one, what message do you hope they take away about strength and possibility?

I hope they see that the photographs are not just about beauty — they are about survival, reinvention, and courage. I want women to know that even if they feel powerless today, there is always a path to reclaim their story. If I can rise from silence to strength, so can they.

As you prepare for Mrs World in Las Vegas, what legacy do you want to carry with you — both as a queen and as a philanthropist?

I want to convey that crowns should not collect dust on a shelf — they should inspire change. My legacy, I hope, will be measured not only by titles but also by the lives impacted, the women empowered, and the communities supported. That, for me, is the definition of beauty with purpose.