Lt-Governor presents bowls star with MBE
GUERNSEY’S first Commonwealth Games medal winner in 28 years was presented with the MBE at Government House on Saturday.
Lawn and indoor bowler Lucy Beere was included in the 2023 New Year Honours List after winning silver at the Games in Birmingham last year. It was one of 18 international medals she has won in an outstanding career stretching back nearly three decades.
Miss Beere received her honour from Lt-Governor Lt General Richard Cripwell, surrounded by family, friends and colleagues.
‘I made the decision not to have it at Windsor Castle. I would have been allowed only two people there,’ she said.
‘I have so many friends and I’m blown away by their support. I’m so grateful to all these people who are here today to share this with me. I feel they have all been part of my journey and I didn’t want them to miss out on this.
‘After giving the Commonwealth Baton to the Lt-Governor, I felt he was also part of my journey, and so it felt like the right thing to come up here for the presentation.’
Miss Beere was born in Newport in the Isle of Wight. She relocated to Guernsey about 15 years ago.
A citation read by Marco Ciotti, the Lt-Governor’s aide de camp, described Miss Beere as a popular, dedicated and inspirational member of the bowls scene locally and praised her tenacity and steely determination.
‘I watched Lucy competing last year in Birmingham at her fourth Commonwealth Games and was struck not only by her world-class sporting ability but also by her capacity to stay focused under immense pressure,’ said Lt General Cripwell.
‘She is an outstanding sporting ambassador for Guernsey and it has given me great pleasure to present her with the MBE on behalf of His Majesty the King.’
Miss Beere credited her grandparents with sparking her interest in bowls and said she was proud of her long list of achievements.
‘When I started bowls, it was a bit of fun. It was only when people started telling me I was quite good that I started to believe that,’ she said.
‘It’s been a tough journey. I’ve done it without sponsorship and my partner suffered ill health a couple of years ago, so there has been some pressure off the [bowls] green. I looked at my CV last night and it went on for 13 pages. I thought “Lucy, if you do nothing else, at least you have got all of that”.’
Nevertheless, she admitted she thought it was ‘a stitch up’ when she was telephoned a little over a year ago to be informed of the award of her honour.
