ENGINEERING giant Renishaw has announced it will be one of the ‘Trailblazers’ to design a statue for the upcoming Wallace and Gromit trail.

More than 60 statues, some of which having the ability to move, will be part of the third instalment of the popular public arts trail when it returns this year, with the Aardman favourites being joined this time by arch nemesis Feathers McGraw.

Joining other “Trailblazers”, such as Rolls-Royce and the University of Bristol, Renishaw will be playing a significant role in the Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal event, which will run from Monday, July 2 to Sunday, September 2.

Since 1995, The Grand Appeal has raised more than £50million for the Bristol Children’s Hospital and the Special Care Baby Unit at St Michael’s Hospital.

The first trail, Gromit Unleashed, proved to be massive successes in 2013, with 80 statues across Bristol, followed by the Shaun the Sheep trail in 2015 with 70 statues.

“We are designing a unique sculpture that will celebrate the Bristol region’s reputation as an innovator in both art and technology,” said Chris Pockett, head of communications at Renishaw.

“The Grand Appeal has raised an exceptional amount for the Bristol Children’s Hospital and we are excited to take part in another trail.

“The team bringing the character to life will be a mix of graduates and apprentices, led by a senior engineer. This is a great opportunity for them to apply their core engineering skills to a real-life project.”

Nicola Masters, director of Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal, said: “We’re looking forward to working with organisations at the forefront of their respective fields to take this trail to unprecedented and exciting places.

“All of them, like us, have a rich heritage in this wonderful city that we’re proud to call home.”

Among the locations seeking to display one of the statues are Chipping Sodbury and Thornbury, with campaigns already up and running.

For more information on Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal, visit www.grandappeal.org.uk.