Watch Manager at Radstock Fire Station, Bobby Ball is raising money for The Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity, and wants you to get involved!

‘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 for the hospital's dedicated charity, The Grand Appeal.”

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.

The competition is open now, and closes on 1st October and from there, entries will be collated and judged by an esteemed judging panel. Among them will be Bobby Ball’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 Unleashed 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.”

A spokesperson from The Grand Appeal said: “Our fundraising family continually surprises us with their inventive ideas, and it’s not often we see something like ‘The Big Scarecrow Show’!

“We’re delighted to have the support of Avon Fire & Rescue Service, which already does such amazing work here in Bristol.

“With the help of fantastic fundraisers like Bobby Ball and the Avon Fire & Rescue Service team, we can continue to fund much-needed services that support the doctors and nurses and bring joy and light relief to children at Bristol Children’s Hospital.”

To enter, submit your entry via email to corporate: [email protected] with an image of your scarecrow.

To donate, please visit the JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/summerscarecrowshow