A grand auction of mermaid tail sculptures raised £200,600 for Julia's House children's hospice charity.
The Great Tail Trail's grand auction on Friday, June 20 at The Italian Villa, Compton Acres, was attended by almost 100 guests.
The 48 sculptures were part of a free public art trail across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole this spring.
Each sculpture was designed by an artist and sponsored by a business.
"We are absolutely overwhelmed and delighted that the tails have raised such a fantastic amount for Julia's House - and it's really exciting to see them go off to their new homes."
The money raised from the trail, app, farewell weekend, and auction will help make a difference every day to the children and families who need the support of Julia's House.
The 48 designs available at auction all offered something different to bidders - many depicted local or coastal scenes, some featured wildflowers or animals in nature, there was pop art, illustrations, friendly children's characters and even some jewel-encrusted, sparkling mermaid tails.
The auction, sponsored by IMI Poole, was led by professional auctioneer Charlie Ross, presenter of BBC TV's Bargain Hunt.
Julia's House has partnered with Wild In Art, the leading producer of public art events, to bring The Great Tail Trail to BCP.
Trail artist Judy Guillery (Judee Tree Art) said: "It has been a wonderful experience for my son Morgan (MorganGMakes) and I to be involved in another sculpture trail for Julia’s House."
At 14 years of age, Judy’s son Morgan was the youngest artist on the trail with his design, Tailtanic.
He received a special new commission on the night from Wild in Art as a blank sculpture was sold, with Morgan invited on the spot to paint it.
Work began on The Great Tail Trail more than 18 months ago and involved more than 40 professional artists, 45 sponsors and 43 local schools and community groups.
Share