Twelve-year-old Filipino-British Alyssa Faith Fallorina Dean of Prestatyn, Wales, who was recently crowned Miss Royal UK Pre-Teen 2022/2023, paid a courtesy visit to the Embassy on 31 August.

During the call, Alyssa shared with Post her passion project – the making and distribution of thermal blankets made from recycled packaging of chips/crisps for the homeless.

In the past year alone, she has produced and distributed to homeless shelters over 200 survival packages containing her handmade blankets and other provisions such as socks and knitted hats.

The entire process of making a blanket takes her around an hour and a half. She starts by flattening the crisp packets out, washes and dries them, then uses an iron to bond them together. Her passion project became an opportunity for the family and the local community to bond as she receives help and support from her family and the community.

She was inspired by Pen Huston, a British woman who founded the Crisp Packet Project and creates sleeping bags made out of crisp packets.

Alyssa’s crisp-packet blanket project has caught the attention of British and international media, including BBC and ITV, and she has been interviewed in both the English and Welsh languages.

Alyssa also conducts workshops on making these thermal blankets from crisp packets in their home in Wales. Dr. James Davies, her local MP, recognized her “compassionate nature” and invited her to visit the House of Commons, which Alyssa did on 01 September.

Alyssa won the Miss Royal UK Pre-teen title on 20 August partly because of her advocacy and will compete at the Royal International Pageants in Florida in July 2023.

Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Rhenita B. Rodriguez congratulated and lauded Alyssa for her efforts in not only helping the homeless but in helping the environment through recycling as well. /END