North Point Shopping Centre in Bransholme is celebrating ten years of its free Santa’s grotto. To date, almost 30,000 children have seen Santa free of charge, with the grotto anticipated to welcome at least 3,000 children this Christmas season. The centre is owned and managed by FI Real Estate Management.
North Point Shopping Centre first launched its free grotto in 2014, to offer every child an opportunity to see Santa and receive a gift. The free grotto initiative celebrates its 10-year anniversary as the average cost of seeing Santa across the UK rises to anywhere from £10-20 per child. The grotto aims to remove every barrier to making Christmas joyful for local children – no booking is required, and the grotto doesn’t close for the day until the queue is empty.
The shopping centre is also supporting Mission Christmas again this year, providing gifts for families across Hull.
The Bauble Grotto, in the centre’s atrium, is open every day, before closing for the year at 3pm on Christmas Eve, so that Santa can prepare to make his deliveries.
Families can also capture magical moments with Santa with a range of photo souvenirs including framed photos, keyrings, baubles and snow globes, starting from £7.50.
In addition to the grotto, every Saturday between 11am-3pm, kids can enjoy face painting, transforming into their favourite festive characters such as the Grinch or Elf on the Shelf, as well as Christmas-themed crafting sessions – all free of charge.
A spokesperson for FI Real Estate Management said: “We love welcoming the local community to North Point Shopping Centre for some festive magic. We’re keen to help every family have a joyful Christmas, by ensuring every child can see Santa and receive a gift. The average cost of seeing Santa is increasing year-on-year, which is prohibitive for many families.
“We’re set to welcome thousands of children this year, meaning that over the course of the last decade, we’ll have helped over 30,000 children make precious memories with their family.
“Year-round, North Point acts as a community hub, inviting charities, schools and community groups to get involved with our events calendar, and Christmas is no exception. We encourage everyone to come along and visit Santa and his elves before they make their journey back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve!”
Visitors hoping to see Santa this Christmas can take advantage of free parking, with the centre open seven days a week. After paying Santa and the elves a visit, families can do some Christmas shopping at over 60 retailers from national brands like B&M to independent traders.
Opening times for the Bauble Grotto vary and can be found on the North Point Shopping Centre website: https://northpointshoppingcentre.co.uk/news/news-article/celebrate-christmas-at-north-point-shopping-centre