Hungary's Santa Factory brings cheer to poor children

If you are Hungarian and facing a meagre Christmas then pop along to the Santa Factory in central Budapest where for the last nine years a charity has been trying to bring some cheer to Hungary’s poor.

A giant bubble sits in Heroes Square, and anyone can go along with donations of clothes, toys or items they no longer want, or food or gifts.

“More and more donations arrive at the Santa Factory every year. This year the goal is to help 300 thousand children in need,” says euronews’ Andrea Hajagos.

Also being built nearby is a novel Christmas tree made entirely of 365 sledges. It is dismantled in the new year and the sledges handed out to children who do not have one.

“I want every child to have presents, even if they are poor,” said one little boy.

“Here we can help more effectively throughout this whole system, because I cannot get to everybody’s home personally one by one,” says volunteer Mariann Szabó.

In all there are 100 branches of the Santa Factory around the country staffed by 800 volunteers. It is estimated 25% of Hungarian children live in need or in poor circumstances.