Frequently asked questions

More than 40 colourful giant mermaid tail sculptures will be creating a wave of excitement across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) in the spring of 2025 and raising vital funds for the Dorset children’s hospice charity, Julia’s House. 

Each of the sculptures will be sponsored by a local business or organisation and sponsors will be able to select their favourite design from a selection submitted by local and nationally-renowned artists. 

Schools, nurseries, community and youth groups get to join in the fun too, adopting and designing their own smaller Tiny Tail sculpture, which will form part of the main art trail.

The Great Tail Trail will run for 8 weeks from 5 April to 1 June 2025, creating a free family-friendly walking trail through popular locations across BCP. You’ll find mermaid tail sculptures along the coast and in the towns and parks, shining a light on the landmarks and culture that are at the heart of our beautiful area.

As well as encouraging local residents to re-discover the towns they love, the fin-tastic public art spectacle is expected to attract thousands of visitors from outside the area, providing a welcome boost for local businesses and raising the profile of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

The Great Tail Trail ends with a grand farewell event from 14-15 June 2025, which brings all of the giant and Tiny Tail sculptures together under one roof at the Bournemouth International Centre. The one-off artist-designed giant sculptures will then be auctioned at a separate event on 20 June to raise critical funds for Julia’s House, which relies on public funding to provide its life-changing care.

There will be more than 40 giant mermaid tail sculptures, and around 60 smaller Tiny Tails which are being designed by local schools and community groups. 

We chose mermaid tails as they reflect the very special Mermaid Suite at our Dorset hospice in Corfe Mullen, where families can spend time when their child is at the end of their life. In the Mermaid Suite we provide round the clock clinical care, a listening ear and emotional support for parents and dedicated time for brothers and sisters, so that families can make their most of their final days together. 

The mermaid tails are unmistakable and individual, just like our care – specially tail-ored to the needs of each child and their family.

You’ll find more information about sponsoring a mermaid tail and a downloadable sponsor pack at www.greattailtrail.co.uk  or email teamtails@juliashouse.org for more information.

Our open call to artists is now closed, and all applicants have been advised by email whether their designs have made it to our shortlist or not.

There will be an art selection event on 26 September 2024 where sponsors will choose their design.

The giant mermaid tails will be located in popular locations across BCP – along the coast and in the towns, parks and public spaces where people will be able to walk around the free, family-friendly trail. 

The locations will be announced in the coming months.

No – the trail is entirely free to enjoy!

The Great Tail Trail is brought to BCP by Julia’s House and Wild in Art, the leading producer of spectacular public art events. Wild in Art trails can be found across the UK and worldwide, bringing communities together and leaving a lasting legacy. Julia’s House and Wild in Art have collaborated on art trails previously, in 2011 with the Pride in Bournemouth lion trail and in Swindon last year with The Big Dog Art Trail, both of which raised awareness and funds for the children’s hospice charity.

As Dorset’s local children’s hospice charity, Julia’s House cares for the most seriously ill children in the county, many of whom need 24-hour care for their complex and often rare medical conditions. 

You can find out more about Julia’s House at www.juliashouse.org and Wild in Art at www.wildinart.co.uk

Julia’s House receives just eight per cent funding from the Government, so we rely on public support and donations to continue to provide our critical care to the most seriously ill children and their families in the local community.  Without that support we wouldn’t exist. 

Our costs are increasing along with the demand for our care with more children being born and living longer with rare and complex medical conditions, so each year we need to raise more money to ensure we can be there for every family that needs us.   

While we are currently still able to maintain our care service, over the next few years we do need to significantly increase our income to meet the continuing increase in our care costs. 

The Great Tail Trail will help us raise critical funds and reach people and businesses who don’t know about the vital care we provide in the local community. 

Schools and community groups will have the opportunity to adopt and decorate their own Tiny Tail sculpture, which will feature as part of the main trail. After the trail event, their Tiny Tail will return to the school to be displayed for years to come. 

Local schools, nurseries, youth and community groups have until 11 October 2024 to join our exciting Learning programme. Register your interest at www.juliashouse.org/tinytail 

It’s going to bring an exciting and visually engaging family-friendly event to BCP.  The must-see trail will help shine a light on the popular landmarks which are at the heart of the area. It will showcase BCP as a fun, vibrant and cultural area, while giving the towns an economic boost from the thousands of additional visitors who will be coming just to see the trail.

In 2023, 23,000 people participated in our Big Dog Art Trail in Swindon. 

Visit www.greattailtrail.co.uk or find us on Facebook and Instagram @greattailtrail