What was the fundraising for?
Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal is the name of the charity that raises funds to create state-of-the-art facilities for children and families at Bristol Children’s Hospital. The charity pledged to raise £3.5m towards the expansion of the hospital.
What methods were used?
In 2013, the appeal launched Gromit Unleashed, a public arts trail in Bristol featuring 80 giant Gromit sculptures. Each of the sculptures featured the designs of well-known celebrities and artists. The trail ran for 10 weeks, culminating in an auction of all 80 Gromit and 12 puppy sculptures in aid of the appeal. The online auction attracted 1,889 people from 19 countries.
Other income came from corporate sponsorship, merchandise and a post-trail exhibition, which was attended by 25,000 visitors. People and groups were also inspired to do their own fundraising: one supporter raised £13,000 by cycling and walking 200 miles to see all 80 Gromits in one day.
How much was raised in total?
The auction raised £2.3m, with an additional £2.2m from merchandise and events, bringing the total to £4.5m. The charity, which has a small team and an annual income of £1m, now plans to raise an additional £1.2m for the hospital expansion.
What did the judges say?
Sara Lom, chief executive of the Royal Parks Foundation, said: "It was an inspired idea to link with Wallace and Gromit – it has helped to raise the profile of the charity as well as funds."
Highly commended
Everton in the Community
Finalists
Chicks
Clic Sargent
