The Southmead Development Trust are over the moon that their Greenway Centre site has been selected to host a Gromit Unleashed 2 sculpture. Natalie Bailey, Business Development Manager, said, “We’re delighted that the Gromit coming to Greenway is the Cactus design by Simon Tozer who last time made ‘Gromberry’, one of my favourites. The Cactus design will fit in so well with our greenhouse-style cafe, and we’ll have to make Gromit an honorary ‘Meader’ because he’ll be sitting in a space usually reserved for our local residents and workers”.
Chief Executive of the Southmead Development Trust, Alex Kittow, said, “I have long hoped that we could put the Southmead Community on the map by being part of this iconic arts trail. After lots of hard work and establishing a funding partnership we’re delighted it’s finally happening”. Being part of the trail has so far been out of reach for the Southmead Development Trust, a charity which is run by and supports Southmead Residents. Alex Kittow added, “Every decision to spend money is carefully weighed up by our Board of Trustees and there is no way we could ever have found the funds to sponsor a sculpture ourselves. We needed a big backer to make this daydream a reality and, thankfully, YTL Developments saw the value in this opportunity”.
YTL Developments is the company responsible for breathing new life into the former Filton Airfield. Named after the pioneering aeroplane that was built there – Brabazon – and home to the iconic Concorde, the land is earmarked for an exciting new neighbourhood with plans to build much needed new homes, schools and a new town centre. YTL Developments’ CEO, Liam Lee, said, “We are really excited about partnering the Southmead Community in this way. Our plans will provide many opportunities for local residents, including employment and affordable housing. We are creating a new neighbourhood that Bristol can be proud of, and helping to put Southmead on the arts map is just the beginning of our commitment to the area”.
The cafe at the Greenway Centre will be open every day during the Gromit trail season offering a delicious menu of home-cooked Wallace and Gromit favourites. The Centre is adjacent to the area’s beautiful Badock’s Wood where families will be invited to enjoy a Gromit themed mini-trail. Natalie Bailey added, “At Greenway we host the annual Southmead Festival and this year the Gromit will be our VIP to welcome families through the door. During the school holidays we’ll also be offering a Wallace and Gromit family activity programme with themes of invention and storytelling; it’s going to be a great summer in Southmead!”.