Animal lovers in Gloucestershire have a new way to remember beloved pets they have lost thanks to Westerleigh Group, which manages crematoria and cemeteries all over England, Scotland and Wales.

A memorial post box has been installed at the Cotswold Dogs and Cats Home (CDCH) in Cambridge, Gloucestershire, for people to use in memory of their pets, writing cards, messages and letters.

The idea came from Matilda Handy, then aged nine, daughter of a memorial advisor, Leanne, from Westerleigh Group’s Gedling Crematorium, near Nottingham, as a way of her still being able to feel a sense of connection to her late grandparents.

Sam Herniman, from CDCH, said: “We approached Leanne after seeing her and Matilda on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night takeaway, talking about the memorial post boxes.

“We thought it was such a great idea and a nice thing to do, and we wanted to be able to offer the same facility to animal lovers, to help them remember their loved ones in a uniquely personal way.

“We were overwhelmed with the response we received, as Westerleigh Group’s Gedling Crematorium offered to donate a memorial post box to us, and also to make a £1,000 donation to Cotswolds Dogs & Cats Home in support of the life-saving work we do for so many animals."

To find out more about CDHC, visit www.cotswolrdsdogsandcatshome.org.uk and to find out more about North Wiltshire Crematorium, and the exceptional care and support it provides to local families, visit: www.northwiltshirecrematorium.co.uk