The event marked an important milestone in the collaboration between Bristol City Leap and We The Curious, which aims to make Bristol’s low-carbon energy future more accessible, engaging and inspiring for visitors of all ages.

Guests were welcomed by Hannah Spungin, Director of Bristol City Leap, Jon Sankey, Head of Business Development at Vattenfall Heat UK, and Chris Dunford, Sustainability Director at We The Curious, who spoke about the importance of bringing sustainability education to life through hands-on experiences that connect people with the city’s decarbonisation journey.

Among those attending were Cllr Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, Cllr Abi Finch, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, and representatives from organisations including Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership, SevernNet, Bristol Temple Quarter, Bristol BID, the NHS, Women in Property, Airbus, The Bristol Dockyard, Materials In Mind and Real Growth.

Following the introductions, attendees had the opportunity to experience the exhibit for themselves, and it’s safe to say it was a hit!

Bringing Bristol’s Energy Future to Life

The new exhibit has been designed to raise awareness of Bristol’s growing low-carbon energy infrastructure through a playful, inclusive and sensory experience.

Visitors can post coloured ‘scarves’ into the exhibit’s inlets, adjust airflow using valves, and watch as their scarves travel through a maze of tubes representing Bristol’s energy networks before emerging overhead. Along the way, they encounter recognisable Bristol landmarks, helping connect the experience directly to the city around them.

The exhibit celebrates the extensive network of pipes and cables that are helping deliver renewable electricity and low-carbon heat across Bristol, while demonstrating how innovative infrastructure can help create a more sustainable future.

By transforming a complex topic into a fun and social experience, the installation helps visitors better understand the role that low-carbon energy systems play in everyday life and the positive changes already taking place across the city.

A Hit with Visitors

Even before its official launch celebration, the exhibit had already become a favourite with visitors to We The Curious.

In fact, staff have had to place a bench facing the installation after parents, grandparents and guardians had asked for somewhere to sit while their children continued playing with the exhibit.

The anecdote perfectly captures the ambition behind the project: to create an experience that isn’t just educational, but genuinely enjoyable, encouraging curiosity, exploration and conversation about Bristol’s sustainable future.

Demonstrating the Power of Partnership

The exhibit is the result of a close collaboration between Bristol City Leap and We The Curious, combining expertise in sustainability, education and visitor engagement.

Bristol City Leap is helping to accelerate Bristol’s journey to net zero by delivering large-scale investment in low-carbon energy infrastructure through its partnership between Bristol City Council, Ameresco UK and Vattenfall Heat UK.

Meanwhile, We The Curious continues to inspire curiosity and learning through experiences that help people engage with science and the world around them.

Together, we have created an exhibit that not only highlights the innovative work taking place beneath Bristol’s streets, but also encourages visitors to imagine the role they can play in creating a greener future.

As the newest addition to We The Curious’ North Gallery, the exhibit is expected to engage hundreds of thousands of visitors over the coming years, helping build awareness, understanding and confidence in Bristol’s transition to a low-carbon city.

The launch event was a celebration not only of a new exhibit, but of what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared commitment to sustainability, education and community engagement.

The post Bristol City Leap and We The Curious Celebrate Launch of New Interactive Sustainability Exhibit appeared first on Bristol City Leap.

Beginning in the summer, the trial will test a ‘cross pavement gully’ solution. These are narrow channels installed in the pavement that allow a charging cable to run safely from a home charge point to an EV parked on the street. The household would need to cover the cost of installing the channel, but the council would license the work on the pavement and organise them.

The aim is to understand whether this approach can make home charging possible without creating trip hazards, obstructing the pavement, or impacting other pavement users.

This trial has been designed to understand how this type of solution could work safely, conveniently, and fairly in Bristol, and to develop a process for any future use of this technology. As this is a controlled trial, residents cannot ask private companies to install these channels, and it does not include a reserved parking space on the public highway.

Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said: “With transport making up around 34 per cent of the average Bristol resident’s carbon footprint, and private car use a big part of that, we need to give people more realistic ways to switch to low emission vehicles. “For many households, not having a driveway makes home charging difficult or unsafe. This trial will help us work with residents who are interested in helping us to understand whether cross-pavement solutions can work well for Bristol and the process for how it could be rolled out. This is all part of our ambition to become carbon-neutral and climate-resilient as a city.”

Residents interested in taking part in the trial can submit an expression of interest at Cross-Pavement Gully Charging Trial – Expression of Interest – Bristol City Leap.

The trial will run from August 2026 to June 2027, with gully solutions being installed in batches.

Monitoring and evaluation will feed into a report that will help shape the council’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy.

The project is being delivered by Ameresco as part of the Bristol City Leap partnership, with the trial being run by Bristol City Council.

It follows on from the news that Bristol’s EV charging boosted by 150 new on-street charge points – Bristol City Leap.

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The new on-street EV charging points have been installed at the base of upgraded lampposts at sites selected in areas of Bristol where there are low numbers of driveways, to give people without off-street parking access to charging points for their electric vehicles.

Once the charger is installed, it will be available for public use with simple instructions next to the charge point. Detailed instructions on how to use it and the price will be clearly displayed on the Fuuse app, which also includes the locations of the EV charge points.

The lampposts were upgraded last year in preparation for the chargers, which allows the charger installation process to be quick and straightforward, and is usually completed within a few hours.

Works are being delivered in partnership with Ameresco and Bristol City Leap, supporting Bristol’s wider commitment to clean energy, reduced emissions, and improved access to EV charging for residents.

Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said: “The new lamppost chargers are part of Bristol’s ongoing ambition to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and make it easier for residents to switch to low-emission vehicles. Through the Bristol City Leap partnership with Ameresco, the city is investing in accessible, reliable on-street charging to help support these long term goals.

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “Green electric buses are already making a difference across the West, cutting pollution and improving journeys – with more on the way. Our new Transport Vision sets out the direction of travel for our region, including increasing the number of chargers to support the growing number of other electric vehicles. These 150 new charging points through lampposts are a useful step forward for people in Bristol as we work together to deliver our wider transport ambitions, with almost £500,000 more funding already secured to enable all of our councils to enhance charging facilities.”

The lamppost chargers are designed to fit into the street environment while providing convenient access for residents, especially those without off-street parking.

The chargers being installed are slow CityEV 3.4kW chargers, designed for overnight use. The new chargers complement the existing network of council and privately owned chargers, which provide fast and rapid charging.

The project is funded by The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority Green Recovery Fund and Office For Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) on-street residential charge point scheme (ORCS).

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