An energetic team of National Lottery winners donned their sun hats and put in a day of hard graft to give the four-legged residents at a Lewdown pet ‘retirement home’ a new lease of life. 

 With a combined wealth of around £27M, the team of 20 winners stepped up when they heard about the Cinnamon Trust’s plan to install a herb garden and gym specifically for the dogs who, having lost their owners, are now resident at the trust’s home in Devon.

 Working alongside the Cinnamon Trust team, the millionaire workforce rolled up their sleeves getting stuck in to create a uniquely dog-friendly space where the more senior hounds can amble and browse to their hearts content amongst more than 20 varieties of herbs. Meanwhile, those with slightly more spring in their step will be able to enjoy the bespoke doggy gym which includes ramps, sand pits and a one-of-a-kind lottery ball pit.

Julie White, sanctuary manager, said: 'So much of what we do is making sure that the pets that arrive here enjoy the same level of care, love and attention that they would have received with their owners. Many of our dogs, like their owners before, are a little elderly, so keeping them active is paramount for their good health which is where the National Lottery Winner Volunteer Workforce came in today, building us a doggy herb garden and gym which will keep their senses, and limbs, in good order. 

'The herb garden isn’t as crazy as it sounds, there’s quite a bit of evidence that allowing dogs to self-select from a range of herbs not only keeps them entertained but also helps the dogs to self-treat common ailments like tummy ache or stiff joints.'

Alongside running a nationwide volunteer programme of pet fosterers and dog walkers which ensures older people can keep their pets with them at home, the Cinnamon Trust’s two ‘pet retirement homes’ take in a variety of pets when their owners have made prior arrangements that their beloved companion will be cared for, for evermore. From ponies to sheep, cats to canaries, or tortoises and chickens, the Cinnamon Trust provides an as-similar-to-home-as-possible experience.

Read the full report in next week's Times.