Teen Archer hits the Bull’s-Eye with Make A Difference Funding

Teen Archer hits the Bull’s-Eye with Make A Difference Funding

The country’s current top Under 18s ladies Target Archer is the latest teen to have been awarded funding from Dan’s Trust.

Evie Finnegan, 16, who first tried her hand at archery at the age of 10 during a holiday camp, is now at the top of the sport, regularly representing Lancashire at both Senior and Junior levels, as well as for England Juniors.

And now with a £1,000 Make A Difference donation from us to help fund her sporting progress, Evie is looking ahead to an even more successful 2023.

Evie explained: “Back in 2017 I successfully completed an Archery GB beginners course and joined a club in Manchester, Assheton Bowmen. Today I’m a member of the Bowmen of Pendle & Salmesbury archery club near Preston, where I train and receive coaching.

“To date I have achieved 24 National, 90 Regional and 159 County records in the sport.”

Evie Finnegan, of Lytham St Annes, is the current Top Junior Lady in GB Archery

Evie, who is the current County, Regional and National Junior Ladies Individual Champion both Indoor and Outdoors, had been searching for funding and sponsorship opportunities to help with the costs towards competing in the sport at such a high level, when she came across our Make A Difference Awards on Facebook.

She said: “I was so excited and grateful to find out that I’d been chosen as a winner. It’s come at such an opportune time as I need to buy a new bow, arrows and further equipment which is really important as I move up to the under 18s category.

“The money will help me to achieve my dream of competing in the European Indoor Archery Championships in Croatia next year, where I hope to represent Team GB.”

For the forthcoming 2023 season Evie, whose current archery equipment is second hand, has moved up to the Under 18’s age group, which means that she will be competing at longer distances.

Evie continued: “If I’m to achieve my ambitions of achieving qualifying GB scores during 2023, my current bow and arrows desperately need replacing with a more powerful carbon-alloy bow and matched carbon arrows.

“So the funding from Dan’s Trust goes a long way to purchasing this new equipment – putting me on an ‘equipment-par’ with my fellow competitors as I move further into the more senior groups.”

Ian Bagshaw, co-founder and trustee of Dan’s Trust, commented: “Over the last 10 years we have funded teens participating in a diverse range of sports, dance categories and theatrical endeavors, but a female archer is definitely a first for us!

“We’re so excited to be able to help Evie on her journey towards the European Indoor Archery Championships and we’re hopeful that her enthusiasm for the sport will encourage other local youngsters to try their hand at archery too.”

Alongside Evie, Dan’s Trust will also be funding another 10 teens across Lancashire throughout March and April 2023, taking our donations for this year so far to £20,000.