Knock-out time as Walberton puts up the winning team

The 12-strong team from the CARE community took first place in a day of noise and enjoyment.

The event, organised by Lions volunteers from western West Sussex, brought together 120 adults with severe learning difficulties.

They came from ten care centres around Bognor Regis, Chichester and Worthing.

The occasion at the Arena Sports Centre saw them take part in ten games such as chair balloon burst, dinner for ten, post the parcel and welly bash.

Behind the CARE team, which also clinched the best cheerleaders' award, was the SLS squad in second place and Apuldram Centre third.

The best joker trophy went to the Oak Community Centre. Winner of the best poster was the L'Arche team from Bognor while the coveted Spirit of the Knockout trophy was won by Worthing's Fitzalan Howard Day Centre to cap its debut.

It's a Knockout Organiser Lion Jennifer Thorn said: "There was only one word to sum up the occasion, and it is a word not used much nowadays, because it was a truly joyful day. We are already talking about next year's event."

The competition was being staged for its seventh time. Each team wore differently coloured baseball caps to enable them to be identified.

They tackled the challenges amid a wonderful and noisy atmosphere. Lions volunteers from six clubs '“ Bognor, Chichester, Midhurst, Selsey, Southbourne and the Witterings '“ were helped by others, such as Bognor former town mayor Sylvia Olliver.

Overseeing the organisation was the event's founder, Lion Derek Hardie, who ensured matters continued to run smoothly.

Dignitaries present included Arun District Council chairman Cllr Graham Tyler, Bognor's deputy town mayor CLlr Jennifer Gillibrand and the town's crier, John Hawkins.