Helena Meineck, manager of Exmouth's All Saints Preschool, has won a national award for her work with young children.

Having been nominated without her knowledge, she was chosen from a group of 10 finalists yesterday to be the Famly Children's Champion for 2020.

Famly is a Danish company based in Copenhagen that provides digital nursery management.

In giving the award, the company looks for people who "embody the joy and wonder of early childhood – someone who every child would be lucky to have as their champion."

Matt Arnerich, Head of Content and Brand Voice at Famly, said: "[Helena] is so singularly deserving of it. From everything I've read about her, I'm just so happy."

Helena will receive £5000 in prize money, as well as a handmade bronze statue from a local artist in Copenhagen.

She said: "It's like winning the lottery for me - I haven't had a pay rise in the last five years to keep my preschool open and pay my staff.

"When I do my job, I don't expect anything back.

"For me, what I get back is when I go into the preschool and those children smile at you, or they come up and give you a hug and say 'I love you'.

"You can't ask for anything more, can you?"

Helena has been working for All Saints Preschool for the past 12 years, providing an invaluable service to vulnerable children and bringing a multicultural community closer together.

The resident who nominated her said: "Helena has supported a small setting in the heart of Exmouth with high numbers of vulnerable children for 12 years.

"Her relentless focus, which is always on the children, giving them the best opportunities to achieve their potential no matter what the barriers, is an example to us all."

To read more about her achievement, click here.