Melksham Netball Club held a fundraising tournament on Sunday 21st January and raised £223 for the club and £1,500 for Wiltshire Air Ambulance.
The tournament was held to mark what would have been the 40th birthday of former player, Michelle Phillips, who sadly died in a car accident in 2004. Teams from all over Wiltshire took part, with even players from the Vale team travelling from Oxford on a very wet and windy day to the sports dome at Chippenham, over 100 ladies playing netball all day.
The tournament was won by Melksham Robins, following a tough final with Chippenham. A fitting tribute as five of the Melksham team used to play with Michelle, who was a very strong Goal Defence for the Melksham Team.
Not only was the tournament well supported by local teams, and by so many local businesses who donated raffle prizes but Rachel Shaw, a Team Bath Superleague and former England player spent the afternoon at the Dome and had the unenviable task of choosing the “Player of the Final” which was awarded to Cath Watts of Melksham; the player who had been awarded the most “Player of the Match” during the tournament was Sarah Edes of Calne. Rachel presented the prizes alongside Marsha, the new Wiltshire Air Ambulance mascot, and Michelle’s parents John and Sandra Phillips.
Eboni Beckford-Chambers, another Team Bath and England player has donated an hour’s training session, which is now being auctioned along with a helicopter ride and signed Bath Rugby shirt, with all the funds going to Wiltshire Air Ambulance.
