How Aardman's 1976 move inspired charity link-up

Aardman Animations' move to Bristol 50 years ago inspired its founders to want to help the city, a desire that eventually led to a charity partnership that has raised many millions of pounds.

Since 1995, the company behind Wallace and Gromit, Morph, and Shaun the Sheep has partnered with The Grand Appeal, Bristol Children's Hospital charity.

It allowed fundraisers to use its Wallace and Gromit characters to try to raise £10m towards a new building. The appeal has since raised £90m.

Nicola Masters, the charity's director, said: "They gave us their creativity, and that's what we've been able to work with to raise so much money for the children's hospital in Bristol over the last three decades."

The Grand Appeal was initially set up to support the building of the current children's hospital next to the Bristol Royal Infirmary, which opened in 2001.

After surpassing its target for that project, the charity has continued to raise money for the hospital, family accommodation and research.

One of its most famous contributions to the city has been four highly popular arts trails, which began in 2013 with Gromit Unleashed.

It featured a walkable trail of 80 giant Gromit sculptures decorated by artists, celebrities and designers, which later raised £2.3m at auction.

Aardman founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton, who moved their young company to Bristol in 1976, said they had always wanted to be helpful and supportive to the city.

"The effect of the trails, it's just been amazing," Lord said.

"What I love about it is that it's free, anyone can enjoy it, it's in the summer, the streets come alive, people walk around, and people talk to each other more - it's just a lovely feel-good thing."

Masters said: "We've been able to see the joy and delight on generations of families walking the streets from our very first Gromit Unleashed trial in 2013 right up to last year."

To celebrate the studio's milestone birthday, the Cracking Exhibition Gromit: 50 Years of Aardman in Bristol has taken over the city's M Shed and remains open until 13 September.

Visitors to the museum have been able to see behind-the-scenes of how Wallace and Gromit, Shaun, and Morph come to life with special models and sets.

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