There are 120 children in this dilapidated home in the mountainous north of the country. In wintertime, it can take up to five hours to drive from the capital Sofia through the mountains to the orphanage, and it's very cold there.

The children are very friendly and love to see visitors - though they get very few. The director and staff who look after them do their best for the youngsters, but it is hard for them because there is very little money to buy food - and none to buy clothes. The children have to make do with second hand clothing, given by charities.

The children do not 'own' any of these clothes. They are kept in a central room and they wear what is available in their size on any day.

That's why they are so pleased to get new shoes, socks and underclothes bought with money raised by the H4H Project.

During our visits to the Orphanage, we also buy frozen chickens to store for the winter and fresh vegetables so the children can have some tasty food for a change. Cash is so tight that they eat a lot of home made bread and soup. The children really enjoy the change!

The Essex team have been painting and decorating rooms during their visits to the Orphanage. It's hard work because Bulgarian paint is primitive and very 'thin'. It takes a lot of coats to make a difference.

The children live in sparse dormitories with no furniture other than their iron frame beds and one cupboard for their meagre belongings.

They have no toys except those few given by the team - which they share, like footballs.

The team lay on a party for the children during their visit which includes face painting and colourful stickers to put on their clothes. The youngsters are delighted with this, and enjoy the love and attention shown to them by the team, who make time to play with them.

Tsetska Antonova is the orphanage Director.

She is a kindly, dedicated woman who could earn much more money working elsewhere - but she loves the children and so stays with them. She told the team "Christmas comes early to our orphanage  - now, in November." As she thanked the volunteers and Essex people for all they had done for the orphanage she broke down "I am going to cry..." she said, "You have been so kind, and it means so much to the children to have you come to visit, to play, to help provide so many of the things they miss out on. I want to make their lives normal. You help me do that."