Hats off to Lucy for staying loyal to Jersey

In fact, the master bowman (shouldn’t that be bow-woman?) concentrates so completely that she tells me that she never knows the score . . . waiting merely to be told if she’s won or lost!

However, what many Islanders don’t realise is that Lucy didn’t have to shoot for Jersey. Her ranking is such that she would be an automatic choice for the England team.

‘But I owe my allegiance to Jersey,’ she said. ‘I learnt the sport here and ESC and Moore Stephens have paid towards my flights off-Island. I won’t turn my back on Jersey and will be proud to be part of the Island team.’

I admire Lucy for that and we both agreed that it’s a shame other sportsmen and women don’t say ‘thank you, but no thank you’ if they owe more to Jersey than ever they do to any of the other countries in the British Isles.

Meanwhile, on the subject of bowmanship, by finishing third in the nationals at Leamington Spa last weekend Lucy earnt $500, paid by her compound bow manufacturers.

Now, if Lucy was the female equivalent of Robin Hood, surely she should have distributed it among the poor and needy . . .

Archery won’t be in the Commonwealth Games in four years time, but then gymnastics won’t make it into next year’s NatWest Island Games in the Isle of Wight, either.

I mention this because rather than moping around, complaining, eight IGA member island gymnastics associations have rolled up their sleeves and decided to run the equivalent of their own games, to be held at Fort Regent next year between 6 and 9 July.

That, to me, not only shows tremendous initiative, but will be another shot in the arm to Jersey Tourism and I would hope that the appropriate authorities not only provide some funding towards these games – as they will do when the ‘proper’ Island Games come to Jersey in 2015 – but that Fort Regent is turned over to the gymnasts for these three days for free.

After all, little enough happens there in the way of any main events these days anyway. . .

All of which, in turn, brings me neatly to one of the main stories in Monday’s JEP when, on page 6, the headline was: ‘Private funding boost for all groups who support Tourism: £250,000 grant available in bid to gain wider backing for the industry’.

Carly Lockhart’s article explains that last year the panel who administer the Tourism Development Fund, which ‘gives cash hand-outs to non profit-making organisations with initiatives to support the tourism industry’ gave £447,000 to various Island enterprises plus £250,000 to Jersey Tourism ‘to pay for more advertising during the economic downturn’.

I fully endorse the £447,000, particularly as most of the people who spent this money would do so requiring no money for themselves, ie they would be volunteers, or enthusiasts, like the organisers of the Branchage Film Festival, thereby working for free.

As for the £250,000 towards advertising? – well, I really do wonder whether this Island gained more value for money than that compared to, for example, that amount being divided between different sporting organisations to host any number of sporting tournaments to bring people from the UK over here.

And as for this year? Well, Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean has said that there is another £250,000 pot of money to give away as long as it goes towards ‘charities, non profit-making organisations and States departments’.

Why ‘States departments’ should be included leaves me cold . . . but as most sports organisations are run by people who give their time, and skills, for free, surely this is an avenue people like the Jersey Pétanque Association and the Gymnastics and Netball Associations should all be able to tap into. And, if they want to double their chances of receiving a grant, I suggest they turn themselves into charitable organizations double quick (but NOT, I hasten to add, into a States Department!)

• Read more in Friday’s JEP