News

 

IWCT launches the fundraising drive for the annual Christmas Bazaar! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to all the Embassy staff who attended today’s International Christmas Bazaar #ICB2021 communication meeting at the Radisson Blu Hotel. Discussions included a confirmation of the date & time of this year’s International Christmas Bazaar. IWCT is very grateful for the support shown by all Embassies in Tallinn at this very special event. So please save the date & come along to Balti Jaama Turg on Saturday 4th of December between 12.00 & 16.00. There you will get a chance to meet all the Embassies, charity partners & IWCT supporters, shop for exclusive gifts from around the world, sample food & drinks in the atmospheric open setting of Balti Jaama Turg. This event is a great way of supporting women’s & children’s charities in Estonia by shopping for international gifts, and enjoying the festive spirit! #IWCT #icb2021 #tallinn #christmasmarkets #internationalembassies   (September 2021)

*all proceeds go directly to our charity partners

In September food and clothing donations were collected for Lasnamae Children’s Center. The items were delivered to the new building by IWCT President.  (September 2021)

Forest fun foraging wild mushrooms & berries! Big, big thanks to Irina & Melanie for this day. We love Autumn, we love our club #iwct #iwctallinn #tallinn #friendship #charity (September 2021)

IWCT special private guided tour at The Tallinn Museum of Orders of Knightshood today. A big ‘Thank You’ to our member; Catherine who narrated the stories behind this unique, beautiful, historic collection. Must see! #IWCT #iwctallinn #charity #friendship #tallinn (September 2021) 

The sun was shining. We couldn’t have asked for better weather!!! At the IWCT pop up coffee stand, we raised 413 Euro for the IWCT charity account!!!!!! Combined with the market the previous day, we raised 478 Euro in total!!! Thank you Elizabeth Shaffer, Judit Orosz-Simon, Sophie Voswinckel, Melanie Güllich, Rachel Armstrong, Rita Weiss, Yvonne and Gabriella, for baking and selling!!!! (August 2021)

What a wonderful occasion to see so many members back in Tallinn after the summer break! Big welcome to our new members who also joined in the fun. Noho restaurant (at Nordic Forum) is an excellent setting for lunch & proves to be a lovely new addition to the restaurants in Tallinn. Highly recommended 🙂 Nordic Forum Hotel is a valued International Christmas Bazaar supporter.  (August 2021)

Our May ‘Be a HERO’- charity campaign drive resulted in a basket of personal hygiene items, as well as 60 EUR in donations from our members. IWCT has supported the Mother and Child Shelter in Nõmme since 2006. This support means they can continue providing a safe environment 24/7 for women with children who need temporary housing and assistance due to physical, mental or sexual violence. (May 2021)

Rain or shine there is always time for a tasty fish lunch and limoncello at ‘La Cuccina’ – yummy! Pictured IWCT ladies enjoying lunch and a fun get together at Kreutzwaldi Hotel. Kreutzwaldi Hotel as part of Unique Hotels is a valued annual International Christmas Bazaar supporter #iwct #icb2021 (May 2021)

No more quaran – Tea! IWCT’s first outdoor (off line) coffee morning in 2021 took place this morning in sunny Telliskivi. Pictured IWCT ladies having fun catching up in the sun. Interested in joining our club? Email: secretary@iwct.ee (May 2021)

What a warm welcome we received today at our ‘new members welcome coffee’

IWCT members were treated to hot coffee, delicious confectionaries and a walk through history at the fabulous Artstac Art Gallery. Adhering to the current restrictions, 5 new members joined the IWCT welcoming committee at La Galerie d’Art internationale de Tallinn. Which is currently featuring ‘Napoleon – 200 year anniversary’ exhibition.  The presentation from our member Ljubov Hrytsayeva and her husband was fascinating. This gallery is a hidden gem right in the Old Town of Tallinn.  https://artstac.com/ (May 2021)

 

’30-day Minimalism Challenge – Green Month’ created by Tallinn University. Nicole (President of IWCT) has been invited to talk at the launch of this superb initiative. Of course our members can also participate by signing up to this 30 day challenge!

Details: How many times have you encountered the situation that you are worried about the things you possess or for those things you would like to possess? That’s your opportunity! Join us for the 30-day minimalism challenge and re-evaluate your relationship with possession, with yourself, and the people around you. To register for the event please fill in the form below: https://forms.gle/VRvRddhKRN5Gp3J86. (March 2021)

On the 21st of February, IWCT held it’s AGM. Thanks to everyone for participating in a very successful Annual General Meeting via video conference. A warm welcome to our new Board Members Andrea Tóth  as Treasurer, Juliana Varpiola as Secretary and Melanie Güllich as Social Events Coordinator! In addition (non board members) Judit Orosz-Simon joined the welcoming commitee. Jelena Mittsenko (Estonia), Ekaterina Lapinsh (Finland), Albina Ojastu (Kazakhstan) and Iona Rondé-Oustau (Romania) formed the audit commitee.  And for the first time, IWCT has a communication team made up of Aiste-Irta Parmasto  (USA),  Natalia Tykhonravova (Ukraine) and Rachel Armstrong (Ireland).  Well done everyone!         (February 2021)

Message update from Tartu Laste Turvakodu. Thanks to the new colourful decorations on the walls, our three living rooms recently got a fresh look. However, these are not just wall decorations, they are sound-absorbing panels that reduce reverberation in the rooms and increase soundproofing and make the rooms cozier. The sound-absorbing panels arrived at the shelter thanks to a donation from the Tallinn International Women’s Club. Thank you very much, International Women’s Club of Tallinn / Tallinn International Women’s Club for supporting the shelter! (February 2021)

 

This January IWCT is dedicating our fundraising efforts to the  Peeteli Kirik ja Sotsiaalkeskus/Peeteli Social Center for Children. We had the honor of meeting the director of Peeteli Children’s Center who shared with us information through a zoom presentation. This charity began one night in 1997 when congregation members met 9 street children. After that night the congregation provided meals for 32 children in the local area. It’s been 24 years and the center now provides food, shelter and a place to call home for underprivileged children in Tallinn. It has without a doubt saved the lives of many children in the years. The center operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week. 98% of the budget for keeping this center open is from private donations. Please call 900-AITA, 900-2482 to make a 5 euro donation! Let’s make a change, every small donation counts! (February 2021)

 

We would like to thank Trendsetter Europe OÜ CEO Gavin Perkins for the generous donation of new pillows and blankets that were delivered to Haiba Lastekodu in January. Children will now have warm blankets during these cold nights. THANK YOU! (January 2021)

Hurray!!!  At the beginning of our campaign this summer, we set ourselves the ambitious goal to collect 20.000 € for the IWCT Charity Fund, which is roughly half of what we raise at our traditional Bazaar. With the latest donations that arrived after the holidays, we’re extremely happy to share with our members, friends and supporters the current campaign result: 20.040€ has been collected to support Estonian charity organisations in 2021. And we’re still going on! (January 2021)

On the 23rd of December, President Nicole Dennis and charity liaison Karin Anderson delivered IWCT Christmas gifts to our SOS God-family Keila. Headphones for the kids, so they can focus on their distance learning and electric toothbrushes! (December 2020)

After the Bazaar the Embassy of Italy donated boxes of Kinder chocolate and the Embassy of Lithuania donated skin care products. At our last board meeting we boxed them up and sent them to the charities we supported this year. There will be some very happy children and staff when the boxes arrive before Christmas! (December 2020)

New to the IWCT calendar of events; swimming group Mondays from 1330-1430 at the Pirita Marina Hotel and Spa, all levels of swimmers welcome. If you do not know how to swim here is your opportunity to learn!!! Nicole is a certified swim instructor, she has taught swimming to all levels from kids ages 2.  

With the money raised at last years International Christmas Bazaar, IWCT was able to support My Dream Day Foundation to organise their big family dream day for seriously ill children on the 5th of September. Please enjoy the video footage. This is our motivation to try our best for this year’s International Christmas Bazaar, which will take place on the 29th of November in Balti Jaama Turg # ICB2020 ❤️ https://www.facebook.com/MinuUnistustePaev/videos/613879185959209/ (October 2020)

Qué noche tan buena; what a great night in Hispaania Maja (Spanish House).  Spanish cooking lessons accompanied by fine wine, all in the atmospheric building which one was Sprinckthal summer manor. (September 2020)

‘Welcome back ladies lunch’ after the summer break! Great to see everyone healthy & happy in the old town’s most famous courtyard restaurant. For those who couldn’t make it, we miss you girls! (August 2020) #IWCT — at Hotel Telegraaf

IWCT board meeting ‘back in action’ discussing activities including the International Christmas Bazaar (ICB first meeting 02.09 Clayhills 18.00), ‘Welcome Back’ lunch next Friday, September AGM & ICB Embassy meeting. Looking forward to seeing you all after the summer break! (August 2020)

IWCT kids happy summer days, enjoying a picnic and playing at the new Reidi tee promenade in Tallinn (July 2020)

For 26 years the International Women’s Club of Tallinn has been right at the heart of the Estonian community. Working with and financially supporting (through fundraising) the most needy and vulnerable in society. We are 62 international volunteers from 27 countries committed to 12 nominated charities including SOS Kelia, Lasnamäe children’s home and Kopli Lastekeskus Tähetorn to name a few. This significant work cannot happen without the help and assistance of our supporters and sponsors. We are in challenging times and realising the same fundraising commitment to our charities is a difficult task, one we will embrace. That is why this year our take on the long established International Christmas bazaar will change slightly. Our volunteers are motivated and ready to adapt, we are focusing on primarily the most in need of protection (financially) to survive 2021. Our strategy is to still kindly request support from you, both financially and through gifts (vouchers, prizes), so our long-time customers (up to 4,000 people attend our one day open event – International Christmas Bazaar) can still buy or donate cash (online) and make a difference to our charity partners. For this reason, we are asking please to dig deep and manage to find funds to help us do our job in 2021 and assist women and children desperately in need across Estonia.  It may not be obvious the needs of the underprivileged in our society, however, we can tell you that the fundraising last year meant families in need in our charities could receive hot food to their homes during the crisis 2020, children being home schooled received food and education supplies each week to supplement what they would normally have received in school. This IWCT could achieve, these are the things that matter the most. We really have no idea how the crisis will affect this generation of vulnerable children, but we will not stand by and do nothing.  IWCT is there to distribute care and support but we can only do this with your help.

Please donate today https://www.iwct.ee/charity/charity-policy/

Speak to us anytime (English, Estonian and Russian): https://www.iwct.ee/contact-always-helpful-always-friendly-international-english-speaking/ (July 2020)

IWCT Charity fund update ‘Crisis May 2020’ IWCT received a video message from the Director of the Kopli Children’s Lighthouse Centre, expressing a very special thanks for the hard work IWCT carried out fundraising at our annual International Christmas Bazaar, this meant families in need in our community could receive hot food during the crisis. (May 2020)