Team of 11 lottery winners muck in to build new yard for Norfolk-based miniature donkeys

A group of 11 lottery winners from East Anglia have teamed up to build a new yard for an animal charity in south Norfolk.

The Mini Donks charity take miniature donkeys into places like care homes to help put a smile on people's faces.

Since winning the People's Projects in 2019, their herd has grown to six, and as a result, they've outgrown their existing yard.

After hearing about their predicament, 11 local millionaires stepped in to build them a new home.

The team, who have a collective wealth of almost £18 million, spent all day on Thursday installing post and rail fencing, as well as building a shed and a raised garden bed.

Leading the team was Terry Falgate from Stalham in Norfolk who £1 million in the Euromillions a couple of years ago.

"It's rewarding I think and satisfying that you can get stimulation from something so small, a little donkey," he told ITV News Anglia

"Any project's good so if you've got a pair of hands and you can work, get on with it."

Many of the millionaires made long journeys to be part of the project, including Chris and Julie Jeffrey who travelled across from Hertfordshire.

"To see what they're doing here and to hear the stories they've been able to tell us about visiting and how the donkeys are actually affecting and helping people enjoy their lives - it's absolutely fantastic what they're doing," said Julie.

The charity was founded by Sarah McPherson in 2017 after she lost her mum to dementia.

Having seen first-hand the joy her donkeys bring to people, she says she's delighted that they will now have the home they deserve.

"We're a really small social enterprise, we don't have a lot of funds behind us and the sort of things that need doing would probably have taken us a couple of years to get done so it's just brilliant," she said.

"I can't tell you how grateful we are. For something like this to come out of the blue, to say we believe in what you do, we want to help you - it means the world."

• Watch Andy and cameraman Sean struggle to call the donkeys over