This spring, something magical swam into town—and Bournemouth Water was proud to be part of it.

From April to June, the streets and shores of Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole were transformed into a whimsical wonderland thanks to Julia’s House’s Great Tail Trail. This enchanting art trail featured beautifully-designed mermaid tail sculptures, each with its own unique story and sponsor, to raise money for an incredible cause: supporting children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

Unlock the tail to generate donations

Bournemouth Water sponsored one of the trail’s standout sculptures—The Tattooed Mermaid, a bold and beautiful creation by local artist Becky Dodd. Nestled inside the Bournemouth International Centre, our mermaid quickly became a fan favourite, drawing in nearly 2,000 visitors who used the official Tail Trail app to “unlock” her story.

For every unlock, we pledged to donate 25p to Julia’s House—and thanks to the community’s amazing support, that added up to £485!

Finding a new home for the Tattooed Mermaid

But the story doesn’t end there. The Tattooed Mermaid made one final splash at Julia’s House’s Grand Auction, where she was sold for an incredible £2,000. That brings our total contribution to £2,485—money that will go directly toward providing compassionate care and support to local children and families when they need it most.

Jamie McDonald, our Head of Billing and Recovery at South West Water, summed it up perfectly:

“We’re delighted that our sculpture attracted nearly 2,000 visitors during the Great Tail Trail, allowing us to donate an extra £485 to Julia’s House. We’ve built a close relationship with this incredible charity and know how vital their work and donations are. It’s been a fantastic event for everyone involved.”

And the feeling is mutual. Laura Maidment, Public Fundraising Manager at Julia’s House, shared:

“Bournemouth Water has been a fantastic sponsor of The Great Tail Trail and Julia's House, helping us to raise an incredible £2,485. We are so grateful to Bournemouth Water and all its staff for their support and enthusiasm—we have loved working with them on this mer-mazing project!”

We couldn’t be prouder to support Julia’s House and the life-changing work they do. A huge thank you to everyone who visited the trail, unlocked our tail, and helped make a difference.

Here’s to more community moments, creative collaborations, and causes that truly matter.