Commonwealth Games star Beere needs backing to fight on the World stage

Tuesday 16 May 2023

Last year bowls star Lucy Beere was being heralded for winning Guernsey’s first medal at the Commonwealth Games in 28 years.

She was awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours list.

But now she is being forced to crowdfund just to be able to continue competing on the international stage.

“I've won multiple World titles, European titles, Atlantic medals, I’ve won medals on every stage and I'm sitting here pretty much begging for money,” she said.

“You think, ‘what's a girl got to do?’

“It's quite embarrassing and a bit disappointing. I'm very despondent. If I can't get the money, where does the future lie for me and bowls, because I just don't know? If there's not that end product of aiming for World titles and aiming for Commonwealth Games then actually, what is the point?”

A late selection call by the Bowls Guernsey Association for the World Championships being held on the Gold Coast in Australia means that there has not been enough time to hold fundraising events that they would usually rely on.

Beere and her team mate have set out to raise £10,000 by the end of this month so they can meet a deadline for confirming entry.

A Just Giving Page has so far seen £1,250 pledged.

There is no sponsorship or support from the Association towards the costs, which include flights, kit and transport.

“To keep your standard up, and to be at the highest level possible, you've got to be able to go away and play these events,” she said.

“You won't stay at that standard just playing in Guernsey and that's not being disrespectful to the people that we have here, but because we're such a small island and you play against the same people all the time, you just know their game.”

The Guernsey selection was only confirmed on 4 May.

Bowls is one of the very few sports where the island competes on the international stage, but it struggles to attract sponsorship.

Beere is frustrated to be forced into a situation where much of her focus is on fundraising instead of improving her game and getting prepared for the World Championships.

She was reluctant to be overly critical of Bowls Guernsey and believes lessons have been learnt so that in future better planning can take place around the international fixtures.

“When you've got someone who, on the back of what I did last year, then getting the MBE, you're almost in red hot form and you're thinking in 16 days time, I have to give an answer on whether I can go to World Bowls or not. That's pretty rough going, it really is.”

The World Bowls Championships takes place in Queensland from 29 August to 10 September. 47 countries are due to send representatives to an event that has been postponed by 1,179 days because of Covid-19.

More than 1,300 matches will take place across five host greens, including para disciplines competing concurrently for the first time.

Visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lucy-beere to support the fundraising campaign.