Dear Members,

Last week I was contacted by a SCCE member who told me that his company this year is considering making a Christmas donation instead of purchasing the more traditional Christmas gifts for his company's staff, customers and partners. He asked me for advice and said that he and his company wanted this Christmas donation to be beneficial for Estonia but it should also have a Swedish-Estonian connection.

I advised him to contact the Estonian Ågrenska Foundation (www.agrenska.ee), a Swedish-Estonian organization who is creating the Tammistu Family Center located 15 km from Tartu and aiming at an optimal quality of life for children having disability due to different diseases and traumatic injuries.

The Tammistu Mansion including 52 ha of land was purchased by SCCE's member Stenströms Skjortfabrik for the Estonian Ågrenska Foundation and the cornerstone for the Tammistu Family Center was laid by H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden on October 5th, 2007.

Donations have been, and still are, an important part in the financing of the development and operation of the Estonian Ågrenska Foundation's Tammistu Family Center.

At an October visit to the Estonian Ågrenska Foundation´ s Family center in Tammistu manor, Mrs. Elsebeth Palmstierna, the wife of Sweden's Ambassador to Estonia Jan Palmstierna, got an opportunity to see the first restored manor rooms and the whole Tammistu manor premises. Following the October visit, Mrs. Palmstierna hosted a November 12th Ladies Lunch at the Swedish Embassy and asked the guests instead of bringing flowers to donate a corresponding amount to create a donation for the Estonian Ågrenska Foundation in the name of "Ladies of the Diplomatic Corps in Estonia".

For those SCCE members who are considering an alternative Christmas Gift this year I recommend a contact with Veli Lahtmets. Veli is Production Manager at SCCE's member Stenströms Skjortfabrik in Elva and also a Board Member of the Estonian Ågrenska Foundation. You can reach Veli at tel: (+372) 5114 733 or by e-mail: veli@stenstroms.ee.

Sincerely,

Kristiina Sikk
SCCE Ombudsman