For the past three years, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside Tilley Bancroft, founder of Making Trails — a creative powerhouse turning art, storytelling, and placemaking into something truly special.
Walk into the Making Trails workshop on any given day and you’ll see sculptures coming to life, paint drying, and ideas being swapped over mugs of tea. Each visit, something new is happening: a bigger trail; a new city on the map; another community project taking shape.
That sense of energy and momentum perfectly captures what Making Trails is all about: creativity that connects people; transforms places; and leaves a legacy long after the paint has dried.
About Making Trails
Making Trails designs and delivers large-scale public art trails that bring people together. From the early days of Burton Swans — which first put them on the map — the team has grown to deliver trails right across the UK.
Their sculptures are more than just public art. They’re story pieces that celebrate local heritage, inspire community pride, and invite everyone to take part. Over the years, the trails have grown bigger, brighter, and bolder…. each one supporting local artists, charities, and businesses, while giving people a reason to explore their own towns in a new way.
A Growing Vision
As Making Trails has expanded, so too has its ambition. New cities. Larger sculptures. More community stories to tell. And with that growth comes the challenge that every creative founder faces…. how to keep the soul of the business alive while building the structure around it.
That’s where our work together began.
Over the past three years, our Managing Director John Holmes has been visiting Tilley regularly at the Making Trails HQ, joining her among paint pots and prototypes for planning sessions, vision boards, and big-picture thinking.
We’ve talked about everything from scaling production and planning new partnerships, to carving out time for reflection and staying anchored in purpose. Sometimes those conversations happen over a whiteboard, sometimes over a coffee between community events. Both matter equally.
Working Side by Side
Our role at Advantage Creative isn’t to tell founders what to do: it’s to help them think clearly about what they really want to build…. and then make it possible.
With Tilley, that’s meant:
- Turning creative dreams into structured, achievable plans.
- Making sure growth feels sustainable, not overwhelming.
- Keeping the heart of Making Trails – community, creativity, and impact – at the centre of every decision.
Tilley puts it best herself:
“Working with John gives me that balance. He helps me plan and strategise for success, but he also really understands what our business is about and why it matters.”
What Growth Looks Like Now
Together, we’ve seen Making Trails evolve from a brilliant local idea into a respected creative business. Each year brings something new – more trails, new partners, bigger opportunities.
But what’s even more impressive is that the Why has stayed the same: bringing people together through art, story, and shared experience. Every sculpture, every trail, every launch day still carries that spark of joy that started it all.
When we visit the workshop now, we see a confident creative enterprise – one that knows where it’s heading, but still leads with heart.
A Shared Belief
At Advantage Creative, we believe that creativity can change communities and founders like Tilley are proof of it. Our job is simply to stand beside them, to ask good questions, provide structure when things get hectic, and help turn vision into reality.
Making Trails has shown what’s possible when passion meets planning, and creativity meets community.
If you’re building something creative – a business, a movement, or a new idea – and you’d like a partner to help you think, plan, and grow, we’d love to hear from you.
Get in touch with Advantage Creative to find out how we can support your next chapter.