• Swindon & Wiltshire Community champions
• Thursday April 25 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Telecommunications firm names Julia’s House as charity of the year

Telecommunications equipment supplier Telenco UK has named children’s hospices charity Julia’s House as its first charity of the year.

The decision continues a relationship forged last year when the West Swindon-based company, which designs, manufactures, and distributes a complete solution for building and maintaining fibre optics telecoms network, sponsored a sculpture as part of The Big Dog Art Trail.

The initiative saw 30 Swindogs – larger-than-life balloon dog sculptures decorated by professional artists – displayed around the town during the summer before being auctioned on behalf of Julia’s House.

Telenco sponsored The Life of the (Lydiard) Fields by Bristol-based artist Marta Zubieta, who uses tropical and retro influences to mix human body parts with organic jungle and cosmic elements.

Her Swindog design was a tribute to Victorian nature writer Richard Jefferies, whose childhood home in Swindon is now a museum, and his book Life of the Fields.

Telenco went on to win the piece at a charity auction, with a bid of £3,600. The sculpture now takes pride of place in the company’s lobby – “a reminder of the event and Julia’s House for the team, and a great conversation starter with visitors,” according to marketing manager Ben Franklin.

The firm had recently arrived in Swindon when they decided to get involved with the Swindogs initiative.

“Sponsoring a Swindog was to showcase our commitment to community engagement but also our dedication to making a positive impact in the lives of children and families in need,” said Ben.

“As a company that values compassion and social responsibility, we believe in using our resources to support organisations like Julia’s House that provide vital services and support to children with life-limiting conditions.

“Through our involvement in the Big Dog Art Trial, we hoped to raise awareness, inspire creativity, and contribute to the well-being of the Swindon community.”

The Telenco team are currently devising a programme of events to help them raise vital funds for Julia’s House.

Although this is the first time they have elected a charity of the year, the team have previously supported Swindon Food Collective with regular donations and organised a charity raffle in aid of Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Julia’s House, which has a children’s hospice in Devizes and another in Dorset, recently launched the Great Tail Trail, which will see mermaid tail sculptures placed around Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch in the Spring of 2025.