Carers at Martha Trust were given chances to win prizes from a prize draw and the National Lottery as a thank-you for the work they do.

More than 170 staff across the charity’s three homes, Martha House and Frances House in Deal and Mary House in Hastings received the tickets as gifts to mark Carers Week.

Fundraising and events officer Kerry Rubins said: “In celebration of Carers Week and Martha Trust’s 30th anniversary, we held a staff raffle.

“We did this as we wanted to say a huge thank-you to all our teams for their hard work and dedication to Martha Trust and our residents.

At Martha, we really do value our staff.”

The senior management team gave £1,000 towards the raffle prizes and some were donated by local businesses.

Workers had a one in three chance of winning. Many of the prizes were work related and had the potential to benefit more than just the winning ticket holder.

They included 10 paid days off, pizza for the whole team, the chance to have your car washed by the senior management and the chance to be a king or queen at work for the day.

Other prizes were beauty treatments, a private cookery lesson, a three-course meal and an over night stay anywhere in the country.

Stephen Solley, who donated a prize of free ice cream for all the team, said: “I have always supported Martha Trust because of all the good it does. It is an extremely worthy cause. The staff are so dedicated and hard working and I wanted to be a part of giving back to them too.”

Staff in Deal also enjoyed a BBQ with music and cakes on Thursday.

Brett Martin, parent to resident Charlotte, added: “Working in the profession that they have chosen requires a special type of person. We know they are not paid film star wages but to our loved ones, they are the stars.

“They brighten up their days, take them out on trips to experience the world and manage their very personal needs as well. It’s a difficult job they all do, with many conflicting priorities, many of them are parents and grandparents too so have to additionally juggle those commitments.

“I wanted to assure them that everything they do is so appreciated.”

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.