Have a ‘Tea for VE’ with Haig Housing

Between Sunday 4th May – Sunday 11th May 2025, we invite you to get together with neighbours, family, friends, colleagues and celebrate the 80th Victory in Europe Day with ‘Tea for VE’ in support of Haig Housing.

  • Host a communal tea party with cakes and music, conversation and dancing
  • Reminisce with a sing-song of war time classics
  • Dig out treasured photos and remember those who were loved and lost over a cuppa
  • Embrace the 1940s with vintage dress, spam and lemon curd galore
  • Unleash that jitterbug with a ‘Strictly come VE Day’ 40s themed dance

Haig Housing supported veterans then, and we’re still here today. By taking part, you’ll be helping us raise the funds and awareness to ensure we continue to provide homes for veterans and their families for as long as we’re needed.

It’s as simple as 1, 2, VE!

  1. Decide on what you plan for your ‘Tea for VE‘; the date, times and location
  2. Let us know your plans in the form below and thanks to our partner, Silver Spoon, we have some bags of baking goodies to give away to help you prepare for the big day*.
  3. Have fun creating your own decorative bunting to show support for Haig Housing at your celebration

*Silver Spoon baking goody bags will be sent on a first-come, first-served basis whilst stocks last (scroll down and complete the form below).

Download Haig Bunting Flags
These bunting flags can be coloured in at your school or home in preparation for VE Day. We have also included a coloured version if you wish to print off in colour.

Instructions:

  1. Print off 8xA4 sized flags
  2. Cut out the triangles in one piece, following the dotted lines
  3. Fold in between the two triangles, fold between the black solid line
  4. Attach to string and staple the top middle of the triangle that has been folded in half over a roughly 5 metre string

 

 

 

Tell us about your ‘Tea for VE’ event to be in with a chance of receiving a free Silver Spoon baking goody bag.

To help with your ‘Tea for VE’ preparations, we have goody bags filled with baking goods from Silver Spoon to give away. There are limited stocks of these goody bags, so make sure you complete the form as soon as you can.

For Haig Housing residents, we have supermarket vouchers to contribute to community events to celebrate VE Day 80. Please tell us about your plans in the form below with details about your event, which Haig estate you live on and the which Haig neighbours you will join with to hold your event. These Community Fund vouchers are limited and will be sent on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tell us about your 'Tea for VE' event here

Goody bags will be sent out at the end of April and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Goody bags are for anyone holding a ‘Tea for VE’ event.

Community Fund supermarket vouchers will be sent out at the end of April to Haig Housing residents on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

With thanks to our supporters

A special message from Prue for your VE Day celebrations

This cake is my all-time favourite. Moist, flavoursome, not too sweet and no need for filling or icing. Great plain for tea, perfect for a dinner party with a dollop of crème fraiche or whipped cream.

Prue x

Prue's Caramelised Orange & Polenta Upside Down Cake

Download the recipe here – Flyer Prue Leith Orange Cake

Ingredients

For the Caramel

120g caster sugar ½ tsp lemon juice
Juice of 1 large orange
40g cold unsalted butter,
cut into cubes

For the Sponge

55g unsalted butter at room temperature
155g caster sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange (regular or blood orange)
2 large eggs
155g ground almonds
70g polenta ½ tsp baking powder
A pinch of table salt
1 – 2 oranges

 

Method

Heat the oven to 180˚C/fan 160˚C/gas mark 4. Grease the sides of a solid 20cm (8in) round cake tin (not springform – see Tips) and line the bottom with baking parchment.

To make the caramel, put the caster sugar and lemon juice into a small heavy-based saucepan and add enough water just to wet the sugar. Place over a gentle heat and swirl gently from time to time as it heats and the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has turned a deep golden colour, take it off the heat and (standing back because it will splatter) pour in the orange juice. Return to the heat and boil rapidly for 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter bit by bit, then pour the caramel into the base of your cake tin.

Peel the oranges, removing all the pith, then cut them into slices about 5mm (1/4in) thick. Arrange the slices on the caramel in the base of the cake tin, as neatly as possible.

To make the sponge, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl with the orange zest until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each egg in fully before adding the next. Combine the ground almonds, polenta, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, then add the dry ingredients to the mixture and mix to combine.

Transfer the mixture to the cake tin, being careful not to disturb the orange slices, then gently level the top.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, covering the top with foil for the last 15 minutes if it is browning too quickly. When the cake is done, a skewer inserted into it should come out clean.

Remove from the oven and leave it to cool for 30 minutes in the tin, then carefully turn it out of the tin, before it has gone completely cold, and allow to cool on a wire rack. If you are struggling to de-mould it, return it to a hot oven briefly, just to loosen the caramel in the base.

Serve it plain, orange-side-up, for tea, or with cream, ice cream or crème fraiche for dessert.