Following the cracking success of the first-ever Grand Walk last September, we returned to Ashton Court Estate for another unforgettable day of family fundraising.
On Sunday 28 September, 400 fundraisers joined us for one of our favourite days of the year. It was warm and sunny at Ashton Court: the perfect conditions for a stroll through the woods, a picnic and plenty of outdoor games!
All this family fun had a vital cause at its heart: raising funds for Bristol Children’s Hospital and St Michael’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Find out everything that happened on this grand day out and meet the tiny heroes who’ve been raising funds to thank the hospital that saved their lives.
The grand opening
After arriving at our Events Village, it was time for our Grand Walkers to boost their energy and get raring to go for the challenge ahead.
Dressed up for the occasion in their Grand Walk t-shirts, they added an extra sparkle to their outfits with face paint by the spectacular Jojo’s Face Painting and Whoopie Face Painting.
Families also treated themselves to coffee and pastries from Hilda Bakery, while their little ones played with our outdoor games equipment and had a crack at crafts like colouring in their own Gromit Unleashed sculpture.
Finally, we had one more surprise in store to get our Grand Walkers excited for the day ahead: a visit from Wallace & Gromit’s Moon Rocket Hot Air Balloon!
The main event
Once everyone had arrived, Becky from @TheGym in Nailsea made sure Grand Walkers of all ages had properly stretched and warmed up before they set off on our challenge of the day.
Hundreds of fundraisers strolled and rolled through the grounds of Ashton Court, choosing between 1.5k and 5k routes through the gentle countryside.
We had lots of fun in store to keep everyone engaged and entertained during their walk. Ilu Axé Samba Band provided the perfect motivation through their drumming, with everyone walking along to the beat.
Our Grand Walkers also had to keep their eyes out for sculptures scattered along the route. ‘Heart of Stone’, ‘No Probllama’, ‘Postie McGraw’, ‘Sirius’ and ‘Sunny’ from our previous Gromit Unleashed and Shaun in the City trails all made special appearances on the day to celebrate the end of Gromit Unleashed 3.
The stars of the show
Leading the way on the walk were babies and kids who’ve been looked after by Bristol Children’s Hospital and St Michael’s NICU.
Grand Walk is unique because it’s an opportunity for even the tiniest fundraiser to say thank you to the NHS staff who’ve cared for them and even saved their lives. The 1.5k walk is accessible for wheelchairs and buggies, while the opportunity to complete both walks at your own pace allows children of all abilities to get involved.
As Bristol Children’s Hospital and St Michael’s NICU serve the entire South West region, families travelled from far and wide to join us on Sunday.
One very special fundraiser was Shelby, who we met a few years ago while she was a very tiny and very poorly NICU baby. Everyone on Team Grand Appeal was so proud to see that Shelby is now a happy two-year-old who confidently walked across the 1.5k finish line to receive her medal!
Little Noah took on Grand Walk just ten weeks after he had open-heart surgery at Bristol Children’s Hospital.
Noah’s mum and dad were amazed that he’d recovered enough in time to do the event. It’s thanks to the incredible cardiac team at Bristol Children’s Hospital that he could join us with a smile on his face.
Grand Walk is a big challenge for so many patients, past and present, so we’d like to say a special thank you and well done to these young heroes!
The afterparty
After crossing the finish line and receiving their Grand Walk themed medals, it was time for our walkers to celebrate their amazing achievement.
Families sat in the sunshine and tucked into their picnics, enjoying fresh pizza from The One Pizza Van and ice cream from ML Ice Cream Van.
Our incredible event sponsors, RHC Carpentry & Building, went all out for the occasion. They set up a sandpit and gave out yellow construction hats so kids could try being a builder for the afternoon.
There was also a cracking opportunity to snap a photo with the life-sized replica of Wallace & Gromit’s famous motorbike and sidecar, which is looked after by our friends at the Atwell Wilson Motor Museum.
The day ended with a grand finale thanks to our long-time supporters Party Peeps, who not only provided the music for the day but also organised a party games for the whole family.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in our second Grand Walk. You’re helping to change lives at Bristol Children’s Hospital and St Michael’s NICU.
Thank you also to our sponsor, RHC Carpentry & Building, who made this day of family fundraising possible.
See you all again in 2026 for the next Grand Walk!
Don’t miss out on Grand Walk 2026!
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