When The Great Tail Trail arrives in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) next spring it brings with it an opportunity for you to show someone special in your life just how much they mean to you, by having their name featured on one of the trail's giant mermaid tail sculptures.
Our 'Waves of Love' tail, is beautifully designed by artist, Judy Guillery (Judee Tree Art) and kindly sponsored by Nicholas O'Hara Funeral Directors. The 'Tail of Tribute' will feature the names of loved ones on their own hand-painted fishtail scale in a spectacular, shimmering design across the whole sculpture. There are just 600 of the fin-tastic tribute scales available for a donation to Julia's House of £25 and they are already being snapped up quickly.
"Waves of Love will be on display for eight weeks throughout The Great Tail Trail from 5 April 2025, which means you'll be able to visit the trail and spot your special someone's name," explains Laura Maidment, Public Fundraising Officer for Julia's House. "It could be someone you've loved and lost who is still close to your heart, or someone who is still with you. Someone who has faced tough challenges or has helped you through yours. You might want to acknowledge an amazing brother or sister, a partner who's been your rock, an always-there mum or dad or just a great friend who has never let you down. We all have people in our lives who deserve a special thank you and this is your chance to make a unique tribute and show them, and everyone else, what they mean to you.
"Your tribute will also be a tribute to the care provided by Julia's House," Laura continues. "It will help us continue to be there for the children and families who rely on us each and every day."
"Nicholas O’Hara Funeral Directors is truly honoured to sponsor the ‘Waves of Love’ tail as part of The Great Tail Trail,” says Anthony O’Hara, Business Principal and Funeral Plan Specialist. “We have a longstanding relationship with Julia’s House, working together to support families during their most challenging end of life moments. The exceptional care provided by the team at Julia’s House to every child they are privileged to serve is remarkable, and we aim to uphold this level of support when our services are needed. It has also been a privilege to offer knowledge and training to the team regarding our role, which has proven invaluable in our joint efforts to create meaningful farewells for children and their loved ones.
"Julia’s House holds a special place in the hearts of our local community and among all of us at Nicholas O’Hara, which is why we are excited to be part of this inspiring project. When the ‘Waves of Love’ tail is completed and adorned with the names of those wished to be remembered, we will take great pride in knowing that we have contributed to this endeavour."
Judy Guillery was commissioned by Julia’s House to design the Waves of Love tribute tail, and is no stranger to creating impactful, eye-catching artwork for sculpture trails. She and her son Morgan Guillery (Morgan G Makes) both worked with us on our 2023 Big Dog Art Trail in Swindon and Judy has recently completed a mural for Julia’s House at the Wiltshire town’s Designer Outlet centre.
Judy says, “It is such a privilege to be asked to create the tribute tail. Being involved in a sculpture trail is always a joy! It brings so much excitement to the community and for a wonderful cause and as an artist, it’s incredible to see your work as part of a collective project that makes so many people happy.
With this sculpture in particular, I feel the extra responsibility. I know with every name I write there will be a family’s appreciation. It’s a real honour to produce something that holds so much love, I hope I make them proud.”
The Great Tail Trail will raise vital funds and awareness of the important role Julia's House plays in the local community. Despite providing an essential lifeline of care to the families of seriously ill children across Dorset, Julia's House receives just eight per cent funding from the government and relies almost entirely on public fundraising and donations to carry out its life-changing service.
