Children in Need Southsea community netball festival is great as Wrong D get it right

Plenty Bounties won the award for best fancy dressPlenty Bounties won the award for best fancy dress
Plenty Bounties won the award for best fancy dress
Wrong D took the victory as teams from across Hampshire took part in a superb Children in Need community festival held in Southsea.

The occasion included a great netball bake off, grand raffle and a crazy catch challenge, writes Helen Dunning.

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More than £400 was raised for the BBC Children in Need appeal. 

Wrong D remained unbeaten throughout the festival.

Something Different finished in the runners-up spot.

They played all their games in whoopee cushion outfits.

The festival was sold out, attracting teams from across the county and held in the indoor sports hall at Portsmouth High School. 

As with all Netball in the Community events it wasn't totally about winning the trophies.

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Organiser Debbie Laycock was keen for everyone to have a great time and to raise heaps of money for the Children in Need appeal. 

She said: '˜We've had some great feedback and I really hope everyone had the best time.

'˜There were some superb fancy dress efforts.

'˜We also had a bake off, which brought out some fabulous creations from our multi-talented netballers.

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'˜The cakes went down a treat when sold off in the afternoon.

'˜Congratulations to Alex from Misfits, who was crowned great netball bake off' champion.

'˜As always, our umpires and volunteers were fantastic.

'˜Our festivals couldn't be organised, let alone run so smoothly, without them.

'˜They really are worth their weight in gold.' 

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The crazy catch challenge was a new addition to the well-regarded Netball in the Community festivals and is likely to make another appearance, such was the popularity. 

Laycock added: '˜It seemed to go down well, with many ladies having more than one go, such was the competitiveness of the challenge.

'˜At the end we had a tie with Louise Granger, of Wrong D, and Jade Pillie, of Southampton-based Scarletts, scoring 39 catches in 30 seconds.

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'˜So, we had a 'catch off' just before the medal presentation, with plenty of cheering for both.

'˜Congratulations to Jade who took home the very fetching Pudsey Bear socks for winning.' 

Kim Baldwin, of Netchix, took home the player-of-the-festival award, as voted for by the umpires and volunteers. 

It was a fantastic atmosphere.

She said: '˜It was a great day, full of netball fun.

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'˜There was a real team atmosphere and it was great to be part of raising money for such a great cause.' 

Plenty Bounties won the best fancy dress team award for their Seven Dwarves outfits, complete with own nicknames on the back. 

For more information on Netball in the Community festivals as well as back to netball and walking netball sessions email [email protected]