The Grand Appeal brings new, COVID-secure sculpture show to The Mall at Cribbs Causeway

Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal has created a new mini version of their much-loved sculpture trails to give visitors to The Mall at Cribbs Causeway an enjoyable and COVID secure experience while they shop this Autumn.

From Saturday 24 October, Gromit Unleashed: The Grand Adventure will see 15 sculptures pup-up in various locations around The Mall to enhance the shopping experience, with new measures in place to ensure visitors can enjoy the mini trail in a socially distanced way.

Featuring Gromit, Wallace, Shaun the Sheep, and Feathers McGraw, visitors can travel around the world visiting brand new designs as well as firm favourites from previous trails, each representing a different country. The one-off special edition has been created to bring some light relief and joy to visitors to The Mall as they near the end of a very challenging year.

Gromit Unleashed: The Grand Adventure is organised by The Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children’s Hospital charity, in partnership with Aardman to celebrate 25 years of a trailblazing partnership. Since 1995, the multi-Academy Award®-winning Wallace & Gromit characters have been spearheading the charity’s fundraising.

Nicola Masters, director, The Grand Appeal commented: “Over the past few months we’ve been working out a way to bring some of the magic and fun of Gromit Unleashed to life this autumn. We want to help bring a smile to the faces of shoppers and their families while they are visiting The Mall at the end of such a difficult year for everyone.

“Gromit Unleashed: The Grand Adventure will take visitors on a safe adventure, while helping raise awareness of the sick babies and children in our region that still need our help and support.”

Working together with Aardman and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, the charity has worked hard to make the mini trail safe for visitors and put measures in place to follow the latest Government guidance regarding the coronavirus pandemic.

Lizzie Taylor, head of marketing at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway added: “We’re thrilled to be partnering once again with a charity so close to all our hearts. We are passionate about supporting our local community, and the amazing work The Grand Appeal carries out has touched the lives of so many of our shoppers. After a difficult year for all, it will be a pleasure to bring some much-needed fun and entertainment to our visitors.

All the 15 sculptures will be located out of reach to minimise the risk of virus transmission. However, special selfie spots will carefully be marked out to encourage people to use set locations that allow them to keep their distance from others, while still having a great vantage point for photos.

A mini adventure map will be available, with visitors encouraged to download and print their own version at home. The recommended adventure route will follow The Mall’s one-way system to make it easy for visitors to comply with social distancing.

For those who do not plan to visit The Mall or who are unable to, an online digital tour of all the sculptures will be available via The Grand Appeal’s website.

Since 2013, The Grand Appeal’s famous sculpture trails have raised over £6 million for Bristol Children’s Hospital, funding pioneering research, cutting-edge medical equipment, art, music and play for the brave children and families in hospital.

The dedicated Bristol Children’s Hospital charity also funds three family accommodation houses, 20 specialist support staff and a programme of art, music and play in partnership with the hospital and its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Michael’s Hospital.

The charity has continued to provide its services to support the staff, families and patients despite the coronavirus pandemic. These vital services have included providing family accommodation to parents, so they can be close to their children in hospital as well as providing the funding for groundbreaking research into the natural history of Covid-19.

For more information on Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal and Gromit Unleashed: The Grand Adventure visit www.grandappeal.org.uk.