NELLY the Elephant packed her trunk, changed her name and made her way, not to the jungle, but to a special shop in West Devon . . .
As part of a new scheme launched by the Hospiscare Lottery, 'Lottie' the elephant will be in the Hospiscare shop in Okehampton from Monday, September 8.
The Hospiscare Lottery is launching Lottie as its new gift to loyal players of the lottery — because an elephant never forgets to play with £1 a week and a chance to win the £1,000 jackpot.
Hospiscare is giving everyone who signs up to the Lottery for more than three months by standing order, or a year by cheque, their own Lottie the Hospiscare elephant as a thank you for saving the charity money in time and administration fees.
Geoff Stamp, Hospiscare's Lottery manager, explained why the new, cuddly incentive had been launched: 'We have 8,700 people play the lottery every week, who pay their £1 to enter the draw in various ways, by dropping into their local Hospiscare shop, giving to one of our collectors or sending us a cheque.
'Entering several draws at once reduces our costs, so we would like to thank these players with a small gift.'
The Hospiscare Lottery gives a total of £1,500 in prize money every week, and raises more than £250,000 a year for the charity that cares for people with a terminal illness free of charge.
Over 65p in every pound played helps to pay for more than 3,000 of the 15,000 visits Hospiscare nurses make every year to patients in their own homes.
Lady luck of the lottery has shone on Okehampton more than most during the past 12 months with five lucky players from the town hitting the jackpot.
Anyone who wishes to play the Hospiscare Lottery should call 01392 688025, ask in the shop or see http://www.hospiscare.co.uk">www.hospiscare.co.uk