Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) is raising money for The Grand Appeal from July until September and asking local people to get involved by making a scarecrow.

‘The Big Scarecrow Show’ is the brainchild of Bobby Ball, Watch Manager at Radstock Fire Station, who has seen first hand the exceptional work of the doctors, nurses and staff at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Aged 11, Bobby’s daughter fell seriously
ill, and was under the care of the hospital team for five years.

Watching his daughter go from severely ill to thriving once again left Bobby humbled and forever grateful to the amazing care teams at the hospital. He said: “I wanted to do something to give back to those incredible people, and say thank you for all they did for my family. I know that so many other people have been touched by their great work, and I felt compelled to try and raise some money.”

The competition will
open on Wrong Trousers Day, July 1 2022, and remain open until September 1 2022. During this time, entrants will need to create a scarecrow using recycled materials, photograph it, and send the image to AF&RS.

Entrants are encouraged to donate a suggested amount of £5 to The Grand Appeal via JustGiving.

Entries will be collated and judged by an esteemed judging panel. Among them will be Sophie Ball (Bobby's daughter), a representative from The Grand Appeal and staff from the hospital. The winner will be crowned ‘Best in Show’ and will receive a Gromit figurine. The winning entry will also be displayed on the AF&RS website and
across social media.

Bobby added: “Your scarecrow could be made of anything recycled, and can be as creative as you like. You could make a tiny matchstick scarecrow, or go big and create a giant. If your creative juices aren’t flowing, feel free to just make a donation via our page instead. Every little helps when you’re trying to make a difference.

“Any donations would be hugely appreciated by me, my family and the wider community of hospital staff, parents and patients. I’ll never be able to thank them enough for what they did, but this might go some way towards it.”