SapientRazorfish, the UK’s leading digital agency, has created SantaBot to support the people of Tower Hamlets and First Love Foundation.

Tower Hamlets is one of the most deprived boroughs in London, and the First Love Foundation has been set up to offer advice, support and food, to its residents who face crisis. Since 2010, the charity has helped thousands of people get their lives back on track.

According to the First Love Foundation:

• Tower Hamlets is 10th most deprived borough in the UK[1]
• Tower Hamlets has the highest rate of child poverty[2]in London
• 14% of Tower Hamlets’ households have a combined income of up to £15,000[3]

A longtime principal partner of the First Love Foundation, SapientRazorfish set out to reimagine the street fundraiser – and using a bit of digital disruption came up with the SantaBot: a robot fitted with a touch payment device and 4G connectivity that brings Father Christmas himself to the streets of London.

Appearing via telepresence on the bot, Father Christmas last week streamed live from somewhere snowy. He encouraged time-poor Londoners to donate to a worthwhile cause in an easy, time-efficient manner using the bot’s touch payment technology. So far, he has helped in raising £2,280 for First Love Foundation. As well as the streets of London, SantaBot is getting ready to tour the offices of SapientRazorfish’s clients in the Tower Hamlets area, searching for donations.

Fura Johannesdottir, Executive Creative Director, VP at SapientRazorfish, commented, “We are proud supporters of First Love Foundation. Their service is crucial service for the people of Tower Hamlets, and while it can be hard to find the time to donate, our touch payment SantaBot has made it much easier for Londoners to get into the Christmas spirit and help those in need.”