THE GREAT TAIL TRAIL WELCOMES MORE NEW SPONSORS | Julia's House

June 18th, 2024

The Great Tail Trail has welcomed more new businesses keen to show their support for local children’s hospice charity, Julia’s House.

Running over eight weeks from 5 April until 1 June 2025, The Great Tail Trail will feature 40 giant mermaid tail sculptures in popular locations across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP). Each sculpture is sponsored by a local business or organisation, given a unique and colourful design by an artist and once the trail is over, will be sold at auction to raise vital funds for Julia’s House.

Leading UK life and pensions mutual insurer, LV=, which has its headquarters in Bournemouth, has confirmed that it will sponsor a sculpture on the trail.

“For many years, we’ve proudly supported Julia’s House through a number of different initiatives such as Charity of the Year, fundraising and colleague volunteering,” explains Harry Hanscomb, Chief Operating Officer for LV=. “We’re delighted to be part of the Great Tail Trail to help raise much needed funds for Julia’s House and the children and families it supports. The trail is going to be a fantastic addition to Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch and we’re looking forward to seeing our tail on the seafront.”

Other businesses confirmed as mermaid tail sponsors are Poole-based MSP Capital, a specialised provider of bridging and development finance, construction company Beard, who join as installation partner for the trail after their involvement in last year’s Big Dog Art Trail in Swindon and Holt Recruitment Group, who specialise in automotive, aerospace, defence, satellite and engineering recruitment. Organix, one of the original companies to sign up as a trail sponsor, joined the latest sponsors at the Julia’s House Dorset hospice in Corfe Mullen to announce their involvement.

“We believe deeply in the power of community and the importance of giving back,” says Sophie Cox, Business Manager for Holt Recruitment Group. “This belief underpins our enthusiastic sponsorship of Julia’s House and The Great Tail Trail. Sponsoring this event allows Holt Recruitment to make a tangible difference in our community, supporting causes that truly matter. The proceeds from the trail will help raise vital funds for Julia’s House, ensuring they can continue providing a lifeline of care to seriously ill children and their families. This sponsorship aligns with our commitment to positively impacting society and improving the lives of those in need. We are thrilled to be a part of this fantastic trail and can’t wait to follow the process throughout the year.”

The latest local business recruits means that more than a quarter of the giant mermaid tail sculptures have already been sponsored, but there’s still time to get involved. Julia’s House is looking for more sculpture sponsors as well as a headline sponsor and learner programme partner.

"There are so many benefits to being a sponsor of The Great Tail Trail," explains Laura Maidment, Public Fundraising Manager for Julia's House. "The trail will generate hundreds of visitors to BCP next spring, so it's a great opportunity to build visibility for your brand. Lots of our sponsors are already coming up with some really creative ways to engage their employees with the trail, through team challenges such as walking or running between the sculptures. As supporters of the trail, they will also be helping to support the families of some of Dorset's most seriously ill children, who rely on the ongoing care from Julia's House."

Julia's House receives just eight per cent Government funding and relies on public goodwill and support from fundraising, donations and gifts in Wills to continue its vital lifeline of care.

Laura adds, "Without this support, Julia's House simply would not be able to exist and the families in our care would find life unimaginably difficult. Advancements in medical treatment mean that more children are being born and living longer with complex conditions, so the demand for our service is always growing. The Great Tail Trail will help us raise critical funds but we can’t do it alone. We need businesses, groups, organisations and individuals to join us and sponsor one of the eye-catching giant mermaid tail sculptures. The Great Tail Trail is a project by the community for the community. School, nurseries and community groups will be joining in the fun too, adopting and designing their own Tiny Tails sculpture as part of an educational learning programme.”

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.

To find out more about the trail and how you can become a sponsor visit www.juliashouse.org/tail-trail/sponsors

Copyright © 2023 Julia's House. All rights reserved. Registered Charity Number 1067125.

Julia's House has a CQC 'Outstanding' rating (Feb 2023), ranking us in the top quartile of all hospices in the UK. Click here to read the report.

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