The National Association of Large Families

Many children and parents, lots of programs, toys, attention, friends, life, party, help – that’s what we’re all about! We believe that it’s good to live! We believe that its’s good to live in a Big Family! If you think it so too, join us! It’s just a few steps … NOE has been serving the interests of large families since 1987. We have a real community, real helpers, countless experiences and two thousand discounts.

Introduction

Who are we?

The National Association of Large Families (abbreviated as NOE from Nagycsaládosok Országos Egyesülete in Hungarian) was founded in 1987 with the involvement of about 150 families aiming to offset the general misconception about large families, and fighting for measures that help families with children. Nowadays, NOE has about 16,000 member families and almost 250 local organisations.

NOE’s headquarters is located in Budapest, and we have seven regional centres throughout Hungary (in Gödöllő, Győr, Monor, Orosháza, Pécs, Püspökladány and Nyirád). The Youth Division of NOE has been actively functioning since 2007. Our work is supported by about 1,500 volunteers.

Mission statement

We encourage and support families with children to face the challenges of life. We believe that family is valuable, as it keeps communities together.

 Objectives

  • Promote the respect of family life, marriage, and motherhood/fatherhood
  • Engender a feeling of responsibility for future generations
  • Represent the needs of large families
  • Build a network and community of large families

 

Our regular members are families who are raising or have raised at least three children, but we also welcome ‘yet to be born’ families.

The Association acts independently of political parties and religious ideologies. However, it cooperates with civil society organisations when it comes to the implementation of plans and aims corresponding to our values. NOE is consistently taking a stand based on its by-laws and representing the essential interests of EVERY childrearing family.

The activities cover almost all aspects of human life and as a result, we deal with wide-ranging issues.

We represent the interest of large families. NOE is in active contact with various institutions, state and government organisations influencing family, social and employment policies, education and health care, economics and equal opportunity. We support the process of legislation with proposals and opinions serving the interests of families, including future families.

We are the oldest family organisation in Hungary, and we have the largest number of member families. We regularly call-together civil organisations working for families to communicate and cooperate with them.

 

NOE in numbers* 

  • 13% (8.5 million) of the families with children in Europe have three or more children
  • 211.000 large families live in Hungary (with three or more children)
  • 6% of them are members of NOE (12.500 families)
  • NOE has the largest number of member families among all family organisations in Hungary
  • 700.000 children are being raised in large families. 300.000 of them are under the age of 15
    (22% of all Hungarian children).
  • 442 babies were born in NOE member families last year 
  • There are 200-member organisations of NOE
  • More than 2000 volunteers work for our organisation
  • 90 NOE awards are annually granted for those excelling in activities 
  • 3376 membership discounts are provided for those with a large family card
  • Donations were distributed to 12.500 families
  • 178 families were reached with gifts around the holiday season via Angel Mail Order Service thanks to 151 ‘angel families’ 
  • 79 national programmes are annually organised for NOE members throughout Hungary
  • 1677 people participated in family or child camps
  • 480 cultural events can be visited with discounts and free tickets
  • 1095 telephone hotline calls were answered on our helpline (+36 70 771 6565)
  • Personal legal advice is provided for free in case of lawsuits (18 legal proceedings) 
  • More children (aged 15-29) who were raised in a large family wish to get married than the country average – based on the 2015 NOE Survey conducted among 600 member families.

* based on 2018 data

 

  •  NOE has the largest number of member families in Hungary among all family organisations.  
  • According to the survey those born in a large family wish to have a large family also, while they simultaneously wish for a professional career. 
  • There are significantly more parents with higher educational degrees among NOE member families than the country average. Based on the survey, those living in a large family assume that educational qualifications and living in a large family can be harmonised.

 

Achievements 

  • NOE has by now become one of the largest and most prestigious civil society organisations active at national level.
  • Our Youth Division has been active since 2007.
  • Significant tax exemption for families with children has been one of our major achievements.
  • The governmental financial aid for first-time homeowners has been broadened as a result of our work.
  • For women on maternity leave monthly discounted passes for public transportation are available in several towns throughout Hungary.
  • Granting life-long income tax exemption for women who have raised four children, or more is now part of the Family Protection Action Plan.

Awards received by NOE

Our activities have been recognised with several awards in the past number of years:

  • NOE had the honour of receiving the Award for a Civic Hungary at the prize giving ceremony held in the Museum of Fine Arts, on 18th December 2018. Our association was acknowledged for its work by Katalin Novak, state secretary of family and youth affairs. We are grateful for the prize as an important symbol of the past 31 years of activity of NOE. We are also thankful to the Advisory Board of the Foundation for a Civic Hungary, who had nominated NOE for the prize.
  • NOE had the honour to receive the European Citizen’s Prize of the European Parliament. At the prize giving ceremony held at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences on 21st September, 2018our association was recognised for its contribution by Anita Herczegh, wife of the President of the Republic. Being grateful for the prize, we are also thankful to Kinga Gál and György Hölvényi, members of the European Parliament, who had nominated NOE for the prize. NOE was represented by president Katalin Kardosné Gyurkó and vice-president Kinga Joó at the European ceremony in Brussels, in the European Parliament.
  • In 2018 NOE received the IFFD (International Federation for Family Development) Family Award, for its work on the protection of family values, as the first Hungarian and the sixth non-governmental organisation worldwide. The 2018 IFFD Family Awards were presented at the UN Headquarters in New York. Besides NOE, the prize was awarded to Doha International Family Institute. (The International Federation for Family Development is a non-governmental, independent, and non-profit federation, whose primary mission is to support families through training. For further information, see the IFFD website: http://iffd.org/about-us/.)
  • On behalf of the association, Katalin Kardosné Gyurkó had the honour to receive the Creating Opportunities Award as an appreciation for the outstanding work done to help large families.
  • Solidarity for Public Education Award in 2009 launched by the Democratic Union of Pedagogues. The National Association of Large Families was awarded by the Minister of Human Capacities, Zoltán Balog.
  • Humanity Awardin 2008 launched by the European Feminist Initiative (since 2014 named as Euromed Feminist Initiative)
  • Hungarian Heritage Award in 2007 (This distinction is awarded to Hungarian institutions or persons who have contributed to the activities of Hungarian culture, economy, sports, or science, or to ensure the spiritual uplift of Hungarian society. The award was established in 1995.)

Our finances 

    • Our members pay annual membership fees
    • Member associations also pay a fee
    • Finances from the public budget
    • EU grants (European Social Fund)

Board

Gábor HERBERT
President of NOE

Anna BENEDEK
Vice president

Jenő KUTASSY
Vice president

László BAK
Member of the NOE Board

Dr. Zsolt BÓKA
Member of the NOE Board

Csaba Gyula GÖRCZ
Member of the NOE Board

Ildikó KAPOT
Member of the NOE Board

Andrea KISNÉ SZIRTES
Member of the NOE Board

Ferenc VÁRI
Member of the NOE Board

Staff

Éva EGYED
Head of secretary

Viktória RÓNAI
Desk officer

Nikolett HUNYADI
Desk officer

Emőke Szaller
Financial manager

Antónia VÖRÖS
Financial officer

Erika NAGY
Member cases

Laura FORGÁCS
Media cases

MEMBERS

NOE has more than 15 000 member families and more than 250 local organisations.

To be a member of NOE, one should:

  • raise or have raised at least three children per household and
  • agree with the aims and functions of the association and also
  • take an active part if possible in implementing them.

A common value keeping this colourful community together is family.

 

How to become a Member of NOE?

The online entry form of NOE can be filled out – in Hungarian – on the following link: https://tagsag.noe.hu/ . The membership fee (for 2018) is HUF 7,000 / family, but the amount of the membership fee may be modified by the General Assembly. The amount can be paid by mail or by bank transfer. For more information send an email to the Secretariat.