As proud members of Bristol Creative Industries, Bristol24/7 would like to extend an invite to fellow BCI members to their upcoming Bristol Legends event at Ashton Gate on 6th March. This is a new initiative to celebrate the city and raise vital funds for independent journalism, social impact projects as well as for AntiBanquet and the work they do to tackle food insecurity in the city.
Bristol Legends will be an incredible celebration of Bristol’s culture, creativity, innovation, positivity and its many incredible communities. It will feature a three-course dinner from Josh Eggleton, the AntiBanquet team and other top Bristol chefs; a very special award show hosted by Jayde Adams; some amazing Bristol performers; and quite a few surprises along the way. The room will be full of 750 people from Bristol businesses and beyond, including some of the city’s leaders in culture, innovation, sustainability, community and beyond.
Bristol24/7 are now looking to engage individuals and businesses who are in a position to take tickets or a table at the event or to donate tickets or table to those who can’t afford to attend. We’re delighted to be able to offer a discount on full tables for BCI members. Please get in touch will [email protected] if you’d be interested in joining us. In the true spirit of collaboration, members may like to come together and purchase a combined BCI table or two…
The awards show will be followed by a party in a transformed concourse which will include some truly legendary Bristol bands and djs, a full spectacular show from the Invisible Circus set to a live musical score, holograms of local heroes of the past and a very special guest. Separate tickets for the Bristol Legends Party can be purchased here.
A legendary evening awaits…
Aer Studios and Condense have collaborated with BBC Children in Need to bring Pudsey to life in a new interactive 3D experience for this year’s fundraising campaign.
Donors are invited to unlock a playful ‘paw-gmented reality’ moment, where a 3D-captured Pudsey appears in their real environment to deliver a personal thank you. Using only a mobile device, supporters can place Pudsey in their home, move around him, change his size, and enjoy a light-hearted, uplifting interaction created especially for the appeal.
Nick Fellingham, Founder of Condense says, “The BBC Children in Need Pudsey experience reflects the heart of what our technology makes possible. Fun, accessible and engaging moments that bring real 3D performances anywhere. We’re proud to support such a meaningful cause and to collaborate with brilliant creative partners on an experience that feels joyful for donors.”
Tom Harber, CEO at Aer Studios says, “Our mission as a company is to create positive impact through meaningful digital experiences, so when BBC R&D’s FWD team approached us we were really enthusiastic! We’re proud to have created a truly user-centred platform to delight people donating to such a worthwhile cause in a short amount of time.”
The experience has been brought to the fore by the partnership between MyWorld, the creative innovation institute, and the BBC. With an eye on the future application of technology into entertainment spaces, the BBC R&D team identified a potential use for BBC Children in Need following an interactive event during this years’ BTF+.
Claire Hoyle, CEO at BBC Children in Need said: “We partnered with R&D’s FWD team to deliver this as a nice experience for donors and to give them a little bit of extra Pudsey joy. With ‘paw-gmented’ reality you’re not only helping to support children and young people, but you get you a personal visit from the icon that is Pudsey, himself.”
The Pudsey ‘big thank you’ launched during the Children in Need 2025 Appeal and will remain available to experience for anyone making a donation through to the end of January. For a chance to participate visit https://donate.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/.
You can find out more about the technology behind Pudsey’s Big Thank You on BBC R&D’s website.
Winter is rolling in, which for most means a time of hunkering down and getting cosy, for some signifies the start of an incredibly hard and worrying time for the rough sleepers in Bristol.
This winter, we’re on a mission at Great State to warm up Bristol in time for the festive period, one jacket at a time. And you know what? You can help.
We’ve teamed up with BOSH (Bristol Outreach Services for the Homeless), a community service that are a central hub for rough sleepers and those vulnerably housed. And they’re in urgent need of more winter coats and jackets. Jackets are always in demand.
In fact, BOSH hands them out every night, along with other essentials like hats, gloves, shoes and trousers. Every donation makes a real, tangible difference – wrapping someone in warmth during the coldest months of the year.
So, here’s the plan. We’re hosting a jacket donation drive in collaboration with Runway East Bristol Bridge, which is where you’ll find our office and the home to over 20 other local businesses.
Most of us have a jacket or two gathering dust at the back of the wardrobe. Maybe it’s last year’s style. Or maybe you simply don’t wear it enough. Why not let that jacket live its best life? Keeping someone warm instead of taking up space.
Together with Runway East, we’ll collect, quality check, and deliver every single jacket to BOSH and see firsthand how your generosity keeps Bristol’s streets a little warmer.
We’re Great State – an independent customer experience agency delivering digital experiences for the next generation. For more than 25 years, we’ve called Bristol home. It’s the city that’s shapes us, inspired us, and kept us fuelled on caffeine and creativity in equal measure.
You’ve probably seen our work without even realising it. Take our work with Bristol Airport for example, where we took passengers on a sustainability journey by turning big green goals into stories people actually read. We’ve worked with Bristol Uni and UWE on their digital transformation programmes, and we have partnered with organisations like Babassa to make sure disadvantaged young people are given pathways into a career in tech. Giving back to this wonderful city feels right. Bristol’s given us so much over the years and we want to return the favour.
This winter let’s prove that Bristol’s warmth isn’t just a feeling – it’s something we can share. Because one jacket might not change the world, but it can change someone’s night.
UK digital agency, Torchbox, delivers major website transformation focused on environmental responsibility and inclusive design
Bristol, UK – 14th October 2025 – Torchbox, the digital agency behind open source content management system Wagtail, has developed a new website for World Wildlife Fund-US that demonstrates how sustainable web development practices can work hand-in-hand with improved user experience.
The project helps one of the United States’ leading conservation organisations share its critical conservation message with its nearly 10 million annual users by rebuilding its digital platform.
“Working with a conservation organisation like WWF-US meant sustainability couldn’t just be a talking point, it had to be built into every technical decision,” said Gabi Mamon, Client Partner, Torchbox. “We’ve created a platform that performs better whilst reducing its environmental impact through thoughtful technical choices at every level.”
The new platform runs on Cloudflare’s renewable energy infrastructure and employs modern web development practices, including optimised image formats, efficient content delivery networks using caching to serve all content. These improvements deliver faster page loads whilst reducing the data transfer required for the site’s 30 million annual pageviews.
Accessibility features are integrated throughout the platform, including enhanced keyboard navigation, improved colour contrast, proper semantic markup, and screen reader compatibility. The rebuild also involved thoughtfully reorganising 6,000 pages of conservation content to create clearer user journeys.
“Our website is where millions of people come to learn about global conservation and how it helps both people and nature thrive,” said WWF-US Vice President of Digital Projects Diane Querey. “It’s important that it welcomes users in a way that highlights the important role nature plays in all our lives while conveying the urgency and importance of our mission.”
The project required tight deadline management, with Torchbox working closely with WWF-US’s internal team to migrate and reorganise content whilst building new functionality.
For WWF-US, the new platform provides a foundation for long-term digital growth. The successful delivery demonstrates Torchbox’s capability to meet the complex requirements of large international charities working under demanding timescales.
Visit the new site at https://www.worldwildlife.org/
Introducing Eden Sinclair, UX Designer & Research Lead at the RSPCA! Eden ensures intuitive digital experiences for animal lovers, crafting impactful solutions that inspire action and promote animal welfare. Eden’s dedication shines through, leveraging the support of over 200 volunteers to conduct user research. ‘Designing for good’ has exposed Eden to the immense passion and drive in the charity sector, enriching design with inclusivity for all users.
The purpose of our ‘Design For Good’ content series is to shine a light on how creative innovation can be a driver for positive change. We feature those that are making it happen, those with grand potential. Businesses and individuals that are shaking up their sector and finding ways to do things better, for social or environmental good.
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us what your role is at your organisation?
My name is Eden, and I’m a UX Designer and UX Research Lead at the RSPCA. In my work life, I’m responsible for ensuring that all of our digital platforms, including websites and mobile applications, are intuitive, user-friendly, and meet all of the needs of our very diverse audience base! I work hard to create digital experiences that inspire action and promote animal welfare.
My work involves understanding user behaviours and needs through research and analysis, using wireframing and prototyping to create impactful solutions that encourage really meaningful and lasting engagement with our charity. I also spend a lot of time collaborating with teams across the RSPCA as a whole to ensure our digital platforms are not only user-friendly but also promote empathy, education, and action for creating a better world for animals.
Can you tell us a bit more about the work your organisation does, and how the UX teams support this?
The RSPCA is the world’s oldest and largest animal welfare charity, and we focus on rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming or releasing animals across England and Wales. We’re also campaigning around animal welfare laws, effecting change for animals in laboratories, improving farm animal welfare, educating young people and adults, and providing scientifically backed advice and information to support this.
The UX team, comprising three designers (including myself) and a UX manager, focuses on improving our digital offerings: the main RSPCA website, the RSPCA Education site, the politics site, and new and exciting projects. As a unit, we work closely with the public to ensure that our designs are user-centric and that our UX is tailored to not only encourage people to donate to support us, but also improve animal welfare themselves.
Can you share some challenges or barriers you had to overcome whilst working in a charity and ‘designing for good’?
I’d say that resource is the biggest challenge that I’ve faced. My last company was in the Technology sector, and so resource was never an issue due to very large budgets. However, working at the RSPCA, it’s imperative that we keep costs as low as possible to maximise the number of animals we can help. This is especially evident when attempting to complete user research, as usually a company would pay for research participants, but we have to rely on the generosity of the public.
Thankfully, the public are incredibly generous, and we have over 200 wonderful volunteers who help us test our designs every week. We couldn’t do it without them, and it’s heartwarming to see the commitment to animal welfare.
What has been the key thing you’ve learned about ‘designing for good’ and your target audience specifically?
I think the key thing that I’ve taken away from designing for good has been the incredible passion and drive in the charity sector, not only from the target audience, but also my colleagues at the RSPCA. It’s a fantastic and rewarding place to work.
My target audience is incredibly diverse, but they all share a common love and concern for animals. Whether they are long-time supporters of the RSPCA, or children being introduced to animal welfare for the first time, the passion for animals and kindness is clear.
One of the most rewarding things about working in the charity sector is getting to experience this first-hand. I get to work rather closely with our audience, through research, testing and interviews, and it is incredible to see how deeply people care, and how our supporters are making such a positive impact.
What’s more, the diversity in our target audience really enriches the work that we do for the RSPCA and challenges us to make our designs accessible and inclusive for all. Irrespective of physical or cognitive abilities, embracing the diverse nature of our users allows us to create a more meaningful experience for everyone.
I think the passion and commitment of our audience really drives us to continuously innovate, iterate and improve our designs. It’s amazing to work alongside and for people that are making such a tangible difference to the lives of animals.
This article originally appeared on the ADLIB Blog.
Earlier this year, Bristol Surf Cinema launched its very first event – a night dedicated to celebrating surf storytelling on the big screen. What started as a small, DIY project to bring people together around meaningful surf films quickly grew into something bigger, with almost 250 people buying for the inaugural screening in April.
The idea was simple: create a space to showcase surf films that go beyond the highlight reels, beyond the big brand edits – stories that dig into the social, political, and environmental threads woven through surf culture.
As a camera assistant working in film and TV and a lifelong surfer, I (Theo) set out to build something that connected those two worlds. In a time when the industry was unusually quiet, Bristol Surf Cinema gave me a creative project to get stuck into and a chance to pour energy into something that mattered. It was also a way to genuinely support filmmakers, every film we screen is fully licensed and paid for, and £1 from every ticket is donated to The Wave Project to help fund surf therapy for young people in the UK.
But perhaps what stood out most from the first event was how the Bristol surf community (and the wider ocean-loving crowd) showed up. Feedback from the night wasn’t just about the films, it was about the feeling in the room. People supported the event and made it clear they would like to see more. They wanted a space where all surf stories could be told, with better representation, better balance, and an even stronger connection to the community.
That’s where our second event comes in. On Saturday 12th July at Watershed Bristol, Bristol Surf Cinema returns with a matinee screening of Point of Change, a powerful documentary by acclaimed director Rebecca Coley. The film tells the story of Nias, Indonesia – a surf paradise that was ‘discovered’ in the 1970s and the environmental and cultural impact that unfolded for the local community as surf tourism in that area grew.
It’s a film that makes you think about the consequences of surf tourism — and we’re lucky to have Rebecca joining us on the day for a Q&A to explore those themes in more depth. Rebecca will be answering questions on her filmmaking process, handling delicate themes within documentary and the impact of tourism on the earth and native communities.
Alongside the feature, we’ll also be screening two UK-made short films:
Surfaced by Paul Stevenson, telling the story of Nick Corkill’s journey through addiction and mental health, and the grounding role that surfing and photography play in that journey.
Seb: A Surf Therapy Journey by Matilda Thompson, a beautifully observed short following a young surfer with ADHD and autism as he experiences surf therapy with The Wave Project Bristol.
For those who can’t make the main event, we’ll also be running a catch-up screening on Wednesday 16th July — same films, just without the Q&A.
Both events will offer the opportunity for networking and drinks at the Watershed bar after the event so you can minglew with like-minded film or ocean enthusiasts.
Bristol Surf Cinema was never meant to be a one-off. The ambition is to keep this platform going – to continue curating thoughtful, story-first surf films and to keep building a space where filmmakers feel supported and audiences feel connected.
Looking ahead, there are exciting plans for a national tour to bring these kinds of surf screenings to other UK cities and coastal towns. The vision is to grow Bristol Surf Cinema into a national platform, while always staying true to the ethos: supporting independent surf filmmaking, elevating underrepresented voices, and creating community-led spaces where ocean & surf centred stories, of all kinds, can be seen, heard, and shared.
Want to come along?
Tickets for the July screenings are available now via the Watershed website: https://www.watershed.co.uk/whatson/13320/bristol-surf-cinema-point-of-change
To stay up to date with future screenings or to get involved, follow @bristolsurfcinema on Instagram.
On the evening of April 3rd, students from a range of fashion and creative courses at Weston College came together to showcase their talent at Elevate, a spectacular fashion show held in the Regency Suite on the Grand Pier. This event gave learners the chance to present their work on a professional catwalk in front of friends, family, and the public. Also, the £321 raised from ticket sales will be donated to Weston Hospicecare.
The show featured collections and designs from A Level Fashion and Textiles students, Extended Diploma Fashion, Business and Retail students, and Fashion, Theatre, Special Effects and Media Make-Up students. Hair and makeup were also provided by learners from the HE Hair, Makeup, Prosthetics and Production course. We also had a range of volunteer models from across different subject areas, showcasing the amazing collaboration of the entire college.
Each collection was the result of months of creativity, research, and technical skill, developing initial ideas, conducting visual and factual research, experimenting with illustrations and media, and refining their concepts before constructing their final garments in chosen fabrics.
The Extended Diploma in Fashion, Business and Retail students explored themes such as Contrast, Refabrication, and Nostalgia, allowing for various interpretations and unique outcomes. Some examples include explorations of the architectural contrast within the National Trust’s Tyntesfield House, designs focused on the healing potential of flora, and investigations into the psychology of nostalgia through brain scans and synaptic imagery. Others took a more cultural approach, drawing on rock music from the 1970s to early 2000s.
A Level Fashion and Textiles students brought an equally diverse range of ideas to life, exploring cultural heritage, mental health, and ethical issues in fashion. From intricate Sashiko-inspired patterns to visual critiques of the denim industry’s environmental impact, these students demonstrated powerful, individual visions that reflected deep personal engagement with their themes.
The creativity didn’t stop at the garments. Students from the Extended Diploma in Fashion, Theatre, Special Effects and Media Make-Up created stunning looks that carried strong environmental messages. Their work responded to themes such as climate change, the ozone layer, California wildfires, and human impact on the planet—resulting in dramatic, thoughtful, and visually compelling headpieces and makeup designs.
Pat Jones, Principal and CEO of Weston College, expressed her gratitude to both the students and the community for making this event possible, adding, “The Elevate Fashion Show was a true celebration—not just of the incredible creativity and talent of our fashion learners, but also of the community spirit that made it all possible.
“Thanks must go to Michelle Michael and the team at the Grand Pier for so generously providing the Regency Suite free of charge, giving our students the unique opportunity to showcase their work in a truly professional setting. Thanks to this support, every ticket sold will go directly to Weston Hospicecare. We’re also grateful to St John’s Church for their kind loan of a lighting system that helped the show come to life. This event is a great example of what happens when education and community come together to lift up the next generation of creatives.”
Elevate is a great example of how Weston College’s Career Excellence Hubs give our students the career-preparing opportunities to gain first-hand experience in presenting a collection within a professional setting, developing their confidence, communication skills, and understanding of the production and logistics behind a runway event. The evening also offered invaluable exposure to peers, industry professionals, and potential employers which is essential for anyone pursuing a future in fashion or performance industries.
For many of the student models, walking the runway was a transformative experience. Stepping out of their comfort zones, they rose to the challenge with bravery and confidence, contributing to the energy and spirit of the event and supporting their peers on a night that celebrated creativity, courage, and collaboration. Elevate was an amazing reflection of the talent and dedication of our Weston College students, enhanced by community to bring this event to life for a great cause.
Well done to all our students who got involved in designing, creating, and modelling—this night wouldn’t have been possible without your efforts! Also, a big thank you to our fantastic Photography students: Harrison, Ethan, Cerys, Annabel, Taylor, Ellen, Toby, and Cameron for capturing the night perfectly!
Art in Action is a local non-profit organisation that provides creative art workshops in schools and for people with specific needs. Run by experienced teachers Rich and Clare Cains, for the past ten years Art in Action has worked with home education groups, mental wellbeing groups, over 50s and after school clubs, tailoring workshops to the participants’ needs to educate, increase confidence and wellbeing, and inspire creativity. I’ve been working with them for the past year and not only is it the best fun, but I’ve also seen first hand how dedicated Rich and Clare are to providing enjoyable creative education across North Somerset.
The school workshops are messy, loud, and meticulously planned to ensure even the youngest children go home having created something they’re proud of – Clare and Rich are brilliant teachers. Watching the children’s confidence grow each week is really rewarding, and I love seeing how a simple prompt or theme can send the children’s imagination off on a wild journey. Plus it’s so much fun getting covered in paint or chalk, showing the children different techniques and chatting about… anything from robots to biscuits.
Art in Action is also a HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) programme provider – running holiday clubs for children in North Somerset who are receiving benefits-related free school meals. They provide a fun, safe environment and freshly cooked meals throughout the school holidays. It’s an important service – as of 2023, 15.9% of children in North Somerset were eligible for free school meals. This is 5,017 pupils (up from 4,744 in 2022).
HAF is funded by the Department of Education – you might remember Marcus Rashford encouraging parents to sign their children up for HAF during Covid (here he is talking about it on YouTube).
Working with the Art in Action team at HAF is one of the highlights of my year, I love it. The whole team has loads of experience working with children, from teaching to running after school clubs. Although it’s an arts-based club, Clare and Rich make sure that the sessions are varied to cater to the children who attend. Sport is available every day, and there are workshops such as drama, dance, stop motion animation, slime making, science, and cake decorating. Last summer the children had visits from birds of prey, a space explorer dome, learnt about composting and recycling, and had a visit from the local fire brigade. At Christmas Father Christmas arrived on a motorbike – so much thought goes into making it special for the children.
North Somerset HAF runs during the Christmas, Easter and Summer school holidays. Find more information or book places here.
Contact Art in Action.
Community-based youth charity Young Bristol has become the third South West charity to win a place on the region’s Noble Deeds programme.
Set up in 2021 by Bristol-based SME Noble, the Deeds programme provides digital marketing training & support to not-for-profits, helping them deliver vital services in the area. Increasing in-line with Nobles’ own turnover, this year the support package stands at £25,000. Young Bristol will use this to upskill its marketing team and ensure its services reach the young people who need them the most
Supporting children and young adults aged 8-25 during their critical out of school hours in some of the most challenging areas of the city, Young Bristol’s mission is to provide innovative programmes that create a positive and sustainable impact on the lives of young people
With eight community youth clubs across Bristol, a mobile youth club on wheels, outdoor activity centres and an employment programme just part of what the charity offers, the support from Noble will help the Young Bristol team prioritise where its digital marketing efforts will make the most impact. As well as helping the team to learn new skills and maximise their knowledge of social media, SEO and other digital promotion techniques for a lasting impact beyond the Deeds programme
Lucy Saunders, Head of Fundraising & Development, Young Bristol, explains; “We are thrilled to be the selected charity for this year’s Noble Deeds programme. It is an incredible opportunity for our organisation to gain valuable experience and support from a team of experts. Their support will make a big difference, not only by up-skilling our team and improving our digital marketing, but also by helping us to further our reach and services to even more young people.”
With numerous deserving causes across the city that could benefit from the Deeds programme, choosing just one recipient is difficult. Previous winners have included homelessness charity Emmaus Bristol and South Bristol social enterprise Heart of BS13
Lorenzo Campbell, chair of Noble’s UK Deeds committee, said; “It’s not easy to choose between the many worthwhile entries to Deeds we receive. However, Young Bristol gives us the opportunity to work with a charity that reaches the communities right across Bristol who need their help the most. Making sure young people get the right start in life is so crucial and the passion the Young Bristol team has for that is inspiring.
“The impact the charity has can be life-changing for young people and leaves a real lasting legacy. Hopefully by helping the team enhance their own knowledge and digital marketing skills we can help them make that impact as long-lasting as possible.”
The Noble Deeds initiative was originally started over twenty-years ago by Nobles’ parent [KS1] company in Nevada, North America. Mirroring the US programme, the winning not-for-profit is chosen by an employee-led committee, with the UK Deeds programme opening every June at a free ‘Be Better Bristol’ event for local charities and businesses
The Noble team then work alongside the winning charity from September through to February each year helping them to achieve their specific objective
To find out more about Young Bristol go to https://www.youngbristol.co
To find out more about Noble go to https://nobleperforms.co.uk,
Attention all creative canines and artistic aficionados! The much-anticipated Gromit Unleashed 2025 is on the horizon, and this is your final call to submit your portfolio. This is a unique paid opportunity to be part of an iconic public arts trail while supporting Bristol Children’s Hospital. Head to The Grand Appeal website to register your interest.
Gromit Unleashed
Gromit Unleashed is created by The Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity, in partnership with Aardman Animations. Since its inception, Gromit Unleashed has raised millions for Bristol Children’s Hospital and St Michael’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and you could help The Grand Appeal raise more.
Nick Park’s Academy Award®-winning character, Gromit, first took to the streets way back in 2013. Now, over 500 sculptures, four trails, and 10 years later, Gromit Unleashed has inspired a legion of fans across the globe.
With the release of the new Wallace & Gromit film, Vengeance Most Fowl, this Winter, Gromit Unleashed is sure to be a hotly anticipated event.
Why participate?
Gromit Unleashed 2025 promises to be a tail-wagging triumph and will include sculptures designed by local artists, celebrities, and major brands.
Participating is not just about showcasing your talent. It’s about being part of an award-winning event that makes a difference to the lives of sick children and their families. Your design could even be one of the standout sculptures that draw visitors from all over the world.
How to apply
Register your interest as an artist on The Grand Appeal website. The Grand Appeal’s design team will be reviewing artists’ applications over the coming months.
Join Gromit Unleashed 2025 and let your creativity off the leash while helping Bristol’s bravest children. For more details, head to grandappeal.org.uk. Let’s make Gromit Unleashed 2025 the most pawsome trail yet!
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