The Great Tail Trail is live!

On Monday 5th April, the Steele Raymond team visited their sponsored mermaid tail sculpture, located outside the Russell-Cotes Museum in Bournemouth. As part of the Julia’s House Great Tail Trail, this visit provided an exciting opportunity for our team to see the sculpture up close and meet the talented artist, Laurie King, who shared the inspiration behind the design.

The Great Tail Trail, which officially launched on Saturday 5th April, features 45 beautifully designed mermaid tail sculptures displayed across Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch. Each sculpture is sponsored by a local business or organisation, and visitors can use the Great Tail Trail app to navigate the trail, track their progress, collect rewards, vote for their favourite design, and share photos of their journey.

The trail is a collaboration between Julia’s House and Wild in Art, aimed at raising awareness and support for the vital care Julia’s House provides to families in the local community. Running from the 5th April to 1st June 2025, this family-friendly initiative will not only bring people together, but also help raise essential funds for Julia’s House, a local charity that offers life-changing care to seriously ill children and their families in Dorset. As a charity reliant on public donations, this support is crucial to enable them to continue their work.

The mermaid tail theme honours the ‘Mermaid Suite’ at Julia’s House Dorset Hospice in Corfe Mullen – a special place where families can spend time with their child at the end of their life.

During our visit, Caroline Attreed, Corporate Fundraiser for Julia’s House, joined us to provide valuable insights into the charity’s work in the local community and answer questions from our team. Reflecting on her visit, Caroline commented: “We’re so pleased that Steele Raymond are supporting the Great Tail Trail as a sponsor of one of our 45 Giant Mermaid Tail Sculptures around the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area.

“The trail is a wonderful opportunity for staff to get involved with fundraising and volunteering opportunities, as well as enjoying the trail with their own friends and family, whilst knowing they are helping to make a huge difference for local families with seriously ill children. We are incredibly grateful for their support.”

The trail will conclude with a farewell weekend at the Bournemouth International Centre from 14^th – 15^th June, offering visitors a final chance to see all the mermaid tails together under one roof.