She’s a winner in more ways than one.

Val Lord scooped the top prize in the Examiner’s Win Christmas competition – and promptly chose to donate the Santa’s sleigh full of toys to two good causes.

One set of toys has gone to the Jubilee Centre at Paddock where they will be given to a family in dire need on Christmas Day. The others will go to Val’s local church, St Philip’s at Birchencliffe, to be given to children of refugee families.

The grand prize in our popular competition included must-have toys such as a Snuggles My Dream Puppy, a Trolls Hug Time Poppy, a Star Wars U-Wing and a Sega Megadrive gaming console.

Examiner's Win Christmas winner Val Lord

But Val, of Birchencliffe, had really entered the competition hoping to win the second prize of £100 Love2shop vouchers and has two grown-up daughters, Kim and Maxine.

“I was totally amazed when I was told I’d won all these toys,” she said. “Maxine, my youngest daughter, volunteers with the toddlers group at the centre. I am a member at St Philip’s and they are appealing for help for refugee families.”

Charlene Novak from the Jubilee Centre said: “What Val has done is fantastic. Last week, we heard about a family in desperate circumstances. These are children who have nothing. We wanted to get them some presents to open on Christmas Day. Now these toys have turned up just at the right moment. It couldn’t have been timed better.”