Deborah to Step Down After Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show 2023

The woman who successfully oversaw the renaissance of Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show, after two years of Covid pandemic cancellation, will be leading the show for one more glorious year, before stepping down and allowing someone else to take the reins.

Deborah Black will be retiring from her role of Sports and Field Manager, as of December 31, 2023, after first delivering another compellingly traditional Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show on August Bank Holiday Sunday – August 28 this year.

She first stepped into the job after the 2018 show, taking over from Squadron Leader George Gale. Having delivered a very successful 2019 show, just six months later it became apparent that a social event, even outdoors, would be an impossibility in the Covid era. A year after that, the decision was taken to cancel the 2021 show as well, as things were still so uncertain.

August 2022 saw the rebirth of the show, with competitors and visitors flocking in their thousands to the showground. Deborah triumphantly saw advance ticket sales boom, before fell racers and hounds took to the fells once more and Cumberland & Westmorland wrestlers battled it out to win glittering trophies.

The 2022 event was undoubtedly poignant, however, with the show having suffered the loss of some key personalities to Covid. Deborah’s hope is that 2023 will be a true celebration of all that they contributed and kept alive in Grasmere.

Whilst Deborah has already arranged all of the trade stalls for the 2023 event, booked most entertainers and made many of the arrangements required for the show, one thing she will be assisting with, in the coming months, is the recruitment of her successor. If anyone knows the qualities required of the Sports and Field Manager, it is her and she shall soon be helping the Chairman and Board of Directors review the applications.

The official job advertisement talks of the need for the successful applicant to have organisational, computer, delegation, financial and people skills, as well as a full driving licence and the capacity to both work alone and in a team. They must be as adept at managing online ticketing as they are at planning and organising the events programme, complying with all health and safety legislation and recruiting volunteers, officers, judges and sponsors. But what does Deborah think is required?

“It’s all about being the lynch-pin,” she says. “The successful person for this job is someone who has a lot of common sense, good administrative skills and a great sense of humour. They need to be able to communicate with people from all walks of life and be realistic enough to recognise that organising the most prestigious sports event in Cumbria will not be a walk in the park.

“The hours are flexible but they are often 12-hour days in June, July and August. That’s the business end of organising the show and total commitment is required, day in day out, at this time of year. Having said that, the show involves a number of people who are passionate about their own individual areas, be that fell racing, hound trailing, Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling, field events or catering, so the manager’s role is really that of co-ordinating all of their efforts and ensuring that they combine to make a sensational spectacle.”

Deborah will be on-hand to answer any questions that prospective candidates for the role may have and will still be in situ until December, to assist with any handover.

She herself came into the role having run other Lakeland events since her youth and was a former Secretary of the Cartmel Show. For her, when the opportunity to be Sports and Field Manager of the Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show came up, it was too great a temptation to resist.

“’Grasmere Sports’, as it’s so lovingly known, is just iconic in the Lake District and is truly the area’s premier sporting event,” she says. “It’s filled with so much tradition and history that I just jumped at the chance to manage it.

“Despite the crisis years, it’s delivered on all of my expectations. There’s nothing like seeing the field empty, after a glorious day of sport and fun, and to sit there and reflect on all of the images of the day, knowing that all went well or, if there was a hiccup, that we coped with it and overcame it. It is truly rewarding.”

Deborah is stepping down so that she can spend more time with her family, having seen one daughter just married and with another wedding to plan. Life shall be different for the entire family next year, as Deborah and her husband literally live on the sports field prior to the event in August, taking to their caravan, so that they are on-hand whenever needed. The whole family have also been involved in the day itself, judging, organising and assisting.

Despite all the turmoil and upset of 2020 and 2021, Deborah has no regrets at having taken on the role. When asked what makes it such a special job, she instantly says, “The people,” pointing to all the personalities that are involved with the day, from stand riggers and entertainers to the Members, Directors and competitors.

“You have to be able to cope with whatever the day throws at you and be resourceful but, if you can do that, you can have a wonderful time in this role and experience a real joy in what you are delivering to the local community and visitors from afar. You are literally keeping valued traditions alive for future generations to enjoy and being a custodian of Lakeland life. My advice to anyone considering applying for the job is to give it a go. It could just be the best thing you do.”

Details of the role are available at www.grasmeresports.com and it is being advertised in community publications too. The closing date is June 16, 2023, giving applicants plenty of time to get in touch with Deborah and find out more, if they need to.

In the meantime, Deborah has her eyes firmly set on the 2023 event and going out with a bang. “We have some big announcements to make, so watch this space,” she says, with a steely determination that hints at another special year for Grasmere Lakelands Sports and Show.

Ends

Editors notes

Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show is an iconic event taking place in the heart of the English Lake District on the August Bank Holiday weekend. Its long historic roots date back to 1868 and it is renowned for its fell running, hound trails and Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling competitions, as well as being a fantastic family day out.