A giant gromit sculpture that spent it summer at the WillowBrook centre was one of more than sculptures in North Bristol that helped raised almost £1.3million at auction for charity.
Here we look at the success of Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal in our area…
For many, trekking around Bristol visiting the many and varied Gromit sculptures was one of highlights of summer 2018.
More than 60 locations featured one of the Academy Award®-winning characters – Wallace, Gromit and Feathers McGraw – to raise money and awareness of the Bristol Children’s Hospital charity which supports sick children, babies and their families
This year North Bristol played a huge part in the Grand Appeal trail, with the WillowBrook Centre hosting a Gromit for the very first time.
Money raised from donations and merchandise put around £1,000 into the appeal pot, and earlier this week a special auction was held in North Bristol to sell off this year’s Gromits. 
With 13 scupltures in the North Bristol area, the auction of Gromits featured locally raised almost quarter of a million pounds!
Andy Wynn, WillowBrook Centre manager, said: “It was an honour and a privilege to sponsor the Swallows and Amazons Gromit over the summer and to play a part in this fantastic trail, along with all that it inspires to achieve.”
Thornbury represented the most northerly point of the Grand Appeal trail, which fans could navigate via an app.
As well as raising hundreds of thousands of pounds thanks to donations and merchandise, the auction helped pushed the total raised towards £1.6million. Aerospace Bristol, in Filton, held the auction event, with each sculpture being sold in front of the stunning backdrop of Concorde.
All money raised helps patients and their families in the hospital to have access to the best medical care, pioneering equipment, expert doctors and nurses, family accommodation and patient activities.
Here’s the full list of Gromits across the North Bristol area and how much they raised at auction for charity:
Peek-a-boo! – Blaise Castle – £13,000
Sprinkles – Gloucester Rd – £12,500
Pickles McPrickles – Southmead – £15,000
Swallows and Amazons – WillowBrook Centre, Bradley Stoke – £18,000
George – The Downs – £20,000
Gromit P Sullivan – Cribbs Causeway Gromit Shop – £22,000
Gromjet – Aerospace Bristol – £25,000
Spock – Cribbs Causeway – £17,000
In-Cog-Nito – Cribbs Causeway – £17,000
Honeysuckle Rose – Thornbury – £16,000
Cupid – Bradley Stoke – £15,000
Toto – Winterbourne – £18,000
Amazing Grace – Chipping Sodbury – £17,000
Total raised in our area: £225,500!
If you’d like to buy Wallace and Gromit merchandise visit the website….
The Interchange 