We’re delighted Imagine Cruising have put their paws up to be the headline sponsor for The Big Dog Art Trail in Swindon next year.
The award winning travel agency, based in Royal Wootton Bassett, was the first company to sponsor one of 30 supersized balloon dog sculptures that are set to be unleashed across Swindon during the summer of 2023.
However, the team at Imagine have now decided they want to play an even bigger part in this paw-some project for the town.
The Big Dog Art Trail Summer 2023
The uniquely decorated Swindogs will create the UK’s first-ever balloon dog art trail and will raise essential funds for the local children’s hospice charity, Julia’s House.
The Big Dog Art Trail will create a free walking trail through some of Swindon’s most well-loved and historic parks, landmarks and streets and will shine a light on art and culture in the heart of the town. As well as encouraging local residents to re-discover the town they love, the public art spectacle is expected to attract thousands of visitors from outside the town, providing a welcome boost for local businesses.
Community Partner
As the official Community Partner for the Big Dog Art Trail, Imagine Cruising will help to deliver the trail to the communities of Swindon, bringing people together to enjoy this unique event.
Robin Deller, Imagine Cruising’s CEO, says, “Imagine Cruising are delighted to be the Community Partner for The Big Dog Art Trail and to support this new and exciting community initiative in Swindon. It is vital that we do all we can to raise awareness about Julia’s House children’s hospice charity and we’re thrilled to be doing so in such a fun and engaging way that brings art and culture to the heart of Swindon. We will be sponsoring not one but two of the Swindogs and can’t wait to see them on the trail.”

Imagine Cruising and Julia’s House
Imagine Cruising has supported Julia’s House for the past six years, reaching a fantastic fundraising milestone of £100,000 for the children’s hospice charity earlier this year. The team are fully invested in raising funds and awareness – from sponsoring and helping to design the multi-sensory room at the hospice, to completing walk and cycle rides, and even inviting some of the Julia’s House parents to attend their events such as a gala dinner at Kensington Palace.
“We are continually humbled by the care and support that Julia’s House provides to local children and their families,” said Robin. “Their tireless work provides hope and a little happiness for families in unthinkable situations and we are so very proud to sponsor them.”
Alice Chalmers, Corporate Fundraiser for Julia’s House, said, “We’re so pleased Imagine Cruising are going to be the Community Partner for The Big Dog Art Trail in Swindon next summer. It’s fantastic to have them involved in this really exciting project. They have supported Julia’s House for many years and we’re so grateful for their ongoing dedication to the charity.”
Running from 15 July to 3 September 2023, the The Big Dog Art Trail will end with a grand farewell finale where all of the two metre high Swindog sculptures will be brought together under one roof. The giant one-of-a-kind sculptures will then head off to their forever homes after being adopted at a special auction event to raise money for Julia’s House children’s hospice.
The Big Dog Art Trail is being brought to Swindon by Julia’s House and global public art producer, Wild in Art, who has previously hosted trails in cities across the UK and worldwide, including the recent elephant parade in Worcester and Cows in Cambridge.
If you want to find out how your company can sponsor a Swindog and join the Big Dog Art Trail pack, please visit www.bigdogarttrail.co.uk/sponsors
To find out more about Imagine Cruising please visit www.imaginecruising.co.uk.
Your donations make a life-changing difference
Julia’s House is your local children’s hospice charity, providing a lifeline of care for the most seriously ill children and their families across Wiltshire and Dorset.
Each family we support is unique and so is the care we provide. When a family finds out that their child has a very serious medical condition their world falls apart. Julia’s House exists to help these children and their families.
Find out more about Julia’s House
A Wild in Art Event
This event is presented by Julia’s House in partnership with Wild in Art. Swindon, get ready to have fun and explore!
Find out more
Join the conversation
#BigDogArtTrail
bigdogarttrail
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bigdogarttrail
Sep 29
Of the thousands of you who came and enjoyed The Big Dog Art Trail 2023 – we had many a smile, and a selfie!
Here some of the top tail-wagging pics we had sent in 🐶
Find out what exciting plans we have next by following us @JuliasHouseChildrensHospice or by signing up to our newsletter.
Link in our bio or here: www.juliashouse.org/BigDog
#bigdogarttrail #thebigdogarttrail2023 #wildinart #juliashousechildrenshospice #juliashousehospice #swindonarttrail #swindog #bbcwiltshire #bbcwest #visitengland #visituk #visitswindon #igersswindon #swindonsmallbusiness #swindonbusiness #swindonvolunteers #swindonlife #swindonartist #wiltshire #visitwiltshire …
bigdogarttrail
Sep 28
Bow-Wow what a summer it’s been! We’re so grateful for all of you who came along to enjoy the trail this year.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane on some of the trail’s top dog moments, including:
🐾 Hours of painstaking BTS scenes with our incredible artists hard at work
🐾 An exciting launch weekend
🐾 Fun in the sun on our Sponsor Selfie day
🐾 Farewell Weekend filled with all the pups back together again
🐾 Our Grand Auction, where we raised more than £165k for the incredible @JuliasHouseChildrensHospice
Thank you Swindon – we couldn`t have done it without you!
Don`t forget to follow @JuliasHouseChildrensHospice or sign up to our newsletter to find out what exciting plans we have next!
Link in our bio
#bigdogarttrail #thebigdogarttrail2023 #wildinart #juliashousechildrenshospice #juliashousehospice #swindonarttrail #swindog #swinpup #swindonsummer #outdoorconcerts #pimmsfestival #pimmsinthepark #swindonevents …
bigdogarttrail
Sep 27
Pup, pup and away!
They`ve loved their adventures across town, but the time has come for the Swinpups to go back home…
One of the most magical parts of The Big Dog Art Trail has been seeing the joy and creativity that the sculptures sparked in schools and community groups across Swindon.
We`re so grateful to every single teacher, leader, student, artist and supporter who helped to create the 42 Swinpups that made the trail absolutely paw-some.
And a special thanks to Swindon Borough Council, the trail`s Learning Programme Partner.
Get all the pup-dates and find out what`s next for Julia`s House by following @JuliasHouseChildrensHospice or by signing up to our newsletter. Link in our story. …
bigdogarttrail
Sep 24
The Big Dog Art Trail isn’t just about tail-wagging fun and stunning art…🐾
The trail supports the essential work of your local children’s hospice, Julia’s House, who offer practical and emotional support for families caring for a child with life-threatening or life-shortening conditions.
Thanks to your contributions to the trail this year, we’ve been able to raise vital funds to help Julia’s House provide a lifeline of care to the most seriously ill children and their families in Swindon and Wiltshire.
This will help more families access:
⭐ Emotional and practical support from expert nurses and carers
⭐ Respite sessions so they can take a break from caring around the clock
⭐ Bereavement advice and support
You can find out more about Julia’s House families and events by signing up to our newsletter here/via the link in our bio: www.juliashouse.org/BigDog
@JuliasHouseChildrensHospice
#bigdogarttrail #thebigdogarttrail2023 #wildinart #juliashousechildrenshospice #juliashousehospice #swindonarttrail #swindog #swinpup …
bigdogarttrail
Sep 23
If you missed out at our auction and would love a mini balloon dog of your own, we`ve got a paws-itively fab offer from @YappieDogs to share!
When you use promo code JH10, you`ll get 10% off their colourful range of resin balloon dogs. Plus Yappie Dogs will also donate £10 to Julia`s House on your behalf.
Just head to their website and enter the promo code JH10 to redeem the offer: www.yappiedogs.com
#bigdogarttrail #balloondogs #yappiedogs …
bigdogarttrail
Sep 20
Drumroll please… the results from our Grand Auction are in! 🥁
We had an incredible evening and bid-tastic time at the STEAM museum – raising a woofing £165,800 for @Juliashousechildrenshospice 🐶
All 34 auctioned Swindogs have now gone to their fur-ever homes to unleash a new life.
Thanks so much to everyone who bid on the night! Your support will help us continue to provide our lifeline of care to local families of seriously ill children.
#JuliasHouse #WildinArt @wildinart …