Great Tail Trail

Great Tail Trail The Great Tail Trail has raised over £2000,000 for Julia's House Children's Hospice. Thank you to everyone who took part! Follow

More than 40 giant mermaid tail sculptures will be making a splash in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) in Spring 2025, with the launch of The Great Tail Trail, an exciting community art adventure in aid of Julia’s House children’s hospice and delivered in partnership with Wild in Art. The giant mermaid tail sculptures will be on display in the BCP area for 8 weeks from 5 April to 1 June 2

025, sparking imagination and adventure among everyone taking part, whether you live here or are just visiting. Each sculpture will be sponsored by a local business or organisation and will have its own unique colourful design created by specially commissioned artists. All the mermaid tails will be featured in a mer-mazing display along our stunning coast and in our vibrant towns. The proceeds from the trail will help raise vital funds for Julia’s House children’s hospice, so we can continue to provide a lifeline of care to local seriously ill children and their families.

27/10/2025

A tail with a happy ending!

We’re delighted to share that one of our beautiful Great Tail Trail sculptures has found its forever home at Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre and Local Nature Reserve.

The stunning tail, designed by local artist Jennie Allen, and sponsored by Osprey Europe was inspired by the natural beauty and wildlife of Hengistbury Head, and has been kindly donated back to the centre by the generous bidder who bought it at our charity auction.

Having originally been displayed here during the Trail, it feels very special to see it return home where it truly belongs.

A huge thank you to everyone involved for helping this tail’s story come full circle, and for continuing to support Julia's House Children's Hospice, helping local children and families who need us most.

LV= raised an incredible £23,912 through their Summer Challenge, with over 100 staff taking part in the Great Tail Trai...
18/10/2025

LV= raised an incredible £23,912 through their Summer Challenge, with over 100 staff taking part in the Great Tail Trail!

Although the trail has come to an end, LV= have created a fantastic collage of their memories and even have their very own tail sculpture proudly displayed outside their Bournemouth office!

A huge well done to everyone involved!

Big news, Cherries fans! 🍒Julia’s House is in the running to be an official AFC Bournemouth charity partner – and your v...
23/08/2025

Big news, Cherries fans! 🍒

Julia’s House is in the running to be an official AFC Bournemouth charity partner – and your vote could make all the difference.

You will have the opportunity to vote w/c 25th August if you are:
⚽ AFCB staff,
⚽ a Net Business member,
⚽ a Junior Cherry
⚽ an AFCB supporter

Please look out for your email from AFC Bournemouth and cast your vote for Julia’s House.
Together we can bring more care, more support and more magical moments to seriously ill children and their families.

Please vote. Please share. Help us score big for local families!

Another tail has landed in its forever home!Tech Moon’s stunning White-Tailed Eagle, sponsored by Poole BID, has found a...
11/07/2025

Another tail has landed in its forever home!

Tech Moon’s stunning White-Tailed Eagle, sponsored by Poole BID, has found a perfect perch in a beautiful riverside garden overlooking the Stour and in public view of the walkways of Christchurch.

The proud new owner has dedicated the beautiful sculpture to his wife who sadly passed away last year after 35 years of happy marriage.

They shared:

“The white-tailed eagle also has a connection to the area, as they were reintroduced to the Isle of Wight a few years ago and have since been seen around Christchurch harbour. Thanks to Julia’s House for creating this for me - I am delighted to own it.”

We think this eagle has landed somewhere truly special.

07/07/2025

A very special tail has returned home!

You might remember Sandy, the ‘Julia’s House’ tail painted by the talented Hannah Dosanjh Artist with the help of the children who attend Julia's House Children's Hospice, and their siblings.

We’re thrilled to share that Sandy was purchased by its sponsor and long-time Julia’s House supporters, Superior Seals, who have generously donated it back to the Dorset hospice! Sandy will now be proudly displayed in the front garden for all our families to enjoy.

Superior has raised over £300,000 for Julia’s House since 2008, an extraordinary impact we’re so grateful for. Thank you, Superior, for bringing Sandy home.

Tailtanic has officially docked at its new home!This tail was brought to life by our youngest artist, the talented teen ...
06/07/2025

Tailtanic has officially docked at its new home!

This tail was brought to life by our youngest artist, the talented teen Morgan G Makes and generously sponsored by MicroNav.

We think it looks perfectly at home in this beautiful garden, don’t you?

04/07/2025

Following the Grand Auction 2 weeks ago today, our tails are now in, or swimming to their new forever homes (photos to follow!)

So, it’s time for us to wave a final goodbye to the Great Tail Trail...

We want to say the biggest THANK YOU to everyone involved in the trail, our incredible partners, generous tail sponsors, talented artists, wonderful schools, care homes and community groups, dedicated volunteers, Julia's House Charity Shops and of course… YOU.

The love and support from our community has been truly fin-ominal! It’s been a joy to see so many of you out exploring the beauty of Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, all while supporting the vital work of Julia's House Children's Hospice.

Although the trail may be over, our story doesn’t end here. Come follow us over on the Julia's House Children's Hospice pages to see what’s next - meet some of the incredible families you’re helping, see the fun we get up to at the hospices, and find out how you can continue making a difference through upcoming events and fundraising fun.

It’s been fin-tastic fun, thank you all for being utterly MER-MAZING

30/06/2025

One final fin-tastic round of applause for our Tiny Tails and the mer-mazing schools, nurseries, care homes, and community groups who brought them to life, your incredible artwork truly made waves!

The Tiny Tails are now swimming back to their forever homes, where they’ll be proudly displayed as a vibrant reminder of creativity, teamwork, and community spirit.

A HUGE thank you to the amazing teachers, students, carers, artists, leaders, and supporters who helped bring them to life.

Special shoutout to LV=, our Great Tail Trail learning partner, for helping make this all possible.

Don’t forget to follow Julia's House Children's Hospice to see how your support is making a real difference to local families.

Still riding high from our incredible Grand Auction night – what an unforgettable evening! You already know we raised an...
25/06/2025

Still riding high from our incredible Grand Auction night – what an unforgettable evening!

You already know we raised an amazing £200,600 (thank you!), but which tails stole the show?

‘Growing Together’ by talented AUB student I'Eisha Haywood, sponsored by AFC Bournemouth, hit the back of the net and sold for an incredible £17,500!

‘Oceana’ by Gills Emporium, sponsored by The Waterfront Poole, also made waves too – going for £10,500!

A massive THANK YOU to everyone who helped make the night such a success:

🌟 Event Sponsors: IMI Poole
🏛️ Venue: The Italian Villa – the perfect backdrop
🥂 Bubbles: Midas Prosecco kept spirits high
🎶 Music: Shells Acoustic Music set the pre-auction vibe
🔨 Auctioneer: The legendary Charlie Ross from BBC Bargain Hunt – unmatched energy!
🛏️ Tail sponsor (and buyer!) Protected Trust Services for funding Charlie's room for the night - he needed a rest after that!
❤️ Wild in Art for their support throughout the trail and their MD Charlie's enthusiasm on auction night!

Here are some more memorable moments from the evening – so much generosity, a night we’ll never forget! Huge thanks to our volunteer photographer Baily Moore for these fantastic snaps 📸

23/06/2025

What a mer-mazing night! The Great Tail Trail Grand Auction, sponsored by IMI Poole, raised an incredible £200,600 for Julia's House Children's Hospice!

Hosted at The Italian Villa, guests enjoyed a magical evening in the gardens before battling it out for their favourite tails. Professional Auctioneer and BBC’s Bargain Hunt star Charlie Ross brought a fantastic buzz to proceedings!

This amazing total makes a big splash, but Julia’s House still relies on ongoing support to keep caring for local families. Thank you to everyone who joined in and gave so generously!

What an amazing evening, we couldn’t have asked for a better setting or better weather to say a final goodbye to the tai...
20/06/2025

What an amazing evening, we couldn’t have asked for a better setting or better weather to say a final goodbye to the tails!! HUGE thank you to everyone bid on a tail, and congratulations to the lucky few who now own one!

Between you, you raised an TAIL-TASTIC………..(drumroll)………£200,600 for Julia's House Children's Hospice!!! THANK YOU!

More vids and pics to follow in the next few days, but for now, team Tail Trail are going to have a well deserved lie down!

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Various Locations Across Bournemouth, Christchurch And Poole
And Poole

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+441202644220

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