GIRL guides across South Gloucestershire are flocking to take part in a new challenge linked with the Shaun in the City trail.

Girlguiding groups from across the UK are getting involved with the specially-designed badge: the ‘Shaun in the City’ challenge.

The brand new challenge and badge, all about the trail of 70 ‘Shaun the Sheep’ sculptures scattered around Bristol,  has been designed by Girlguiding Bristol and South Gloucestershire with the support of The Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity.

A donation will be made to the charity from every badge sold.

The 1st Clifton Rainbows are completing the challenge over the summer holidays.

Alex Plumb, leader, 1st Clifton Rainbows, said: “The girls are all really enjoying the ‘Shaun in the City’ challenge.

"While they were too young to complete the ‘Gromit Unleashed’ challenge badge, lots of them remember visiting the Gromit sculptures, and they have all been so excited for the Shauns to arrive in Bristol.

“We have made hot air balloons decorated with Shaun the Sheep, as well as making Shaun out of balloons covered in cotton wool.

"Over the summer the girls are visiting the sculptures across the city and taking a photo next to them in their Rainbows uniform.

“The most important part of the challenge is fundraising for The Grand Appeal. We talked to the girls about how they wanted to raise money and decided to hold a cake sale, selling cupcakes and biscuits decorated to look like Shaun. Our Brownies came along as did many of the girls’ parents, and we raised £33 for the charity.

“It’s very rewarding to know our fundraising is supporting such an important local cause.

“Many of the girls know of or have visited Bristol Children’s Hospital, and they are all pleased to be helping other young children who are unwell by raising money for The Grand Appeal.”

More than 100 Bristol and South Gloucestershire units have already ordered badges, with orders also coming in from units in Essex, Hertfordshire, Cornwall, Cambridgeshire, Kent, Wales, Norfolk and the West Midlands.

More than 4,000 badges have been sold so far, meaning over £1,000 has already been raised for The Grand Appeal.

The badge has been specifically designed so that unit leaders can adapt it to suit girls’ ages, whether they are Guides (aged 10 to 14), Brownies (aged seven to 10) or Rainbows (aged five to seven).

Activities include ideas for those who are not able to visit the trail, such as baking Shaun the Sheep cupcakes, designing a Shaun sculpture, making a Shaun mask or writing a story.

There are also Bristol-themed challenge ideas, such as making a hot air balloon or suspension bridge, or researching famous Bristolians.

The only activity that must be completed to gain the badge is to hold a fundraising event for The Grand Appeal.

Nicola Masters, director of The Grand Appeal, said, “We were delighted to work with Girlguiding Bristol and South Gloucestershire to create this special ‘Shaun in the City’ challenge. It’s fantastic to hear how popular it has been, not just in the Bristol region but all over the UK, and even internationally.

“Every fundraising event, cake sale and collection that local groups like the 1st Clifton Rainbows hold in aid of The Grand Appeal will help to boost our total and make a difference to the lives of sick children and babies from across the region who are treated at Bristol Children’s Hospital. We are hugely grateful for their support.”

For more information about ‘Shaun in the City’, visit www.shauninthecity.org.uk.