Tarts for Troops- A Final Update

We’re pleased to tell you Tarts for Troops has been a fantastic success, thank you so much to everyone who put their baking skills to test and held an event. We hope you had as much fun as us! We have been really impressed with the gorgeous photos and delicious recipes that have been sent in to us over the past few weeks. Congratulations to all those who made it as Tart of the Day!

If you didn’t get a chance to bake, or if baking is not your thing, you can still take part by buying your very own virtual tart. How about a Bakewell, pecan or fresh fruit tart? It’s a great way to show your support, just select your favourite tart to make a donation. Every penny you give will help blind veterans lead independent and fulfilling lives.

We have been delighted to have the support of the Military Wives Choir

Members of the Military Wives Choir enjoying some delicious tarts!

who have contributed delicious tart recipes as well as holding their own Tarts for Troops party before their rehearsal last week. Here is Bridget Nicholson’s recipe for Cornish Congress Tarts, they went down a storm on the evening! You can see more photos from the event here.

Thank you to all of the Specsavers stores who have supported Tarts for Troops. Stores across the country went to amazing efforts – baking, decorating stores, and even dressing up as forces sweethearts! Don’t worry if you missed out, it may not be too late! Some stores are holding their events this weekend to coincide with Armed Forces Day. Find out here if your local store will be having an event!

The Blind Veterans UK staff joined in the baking frenzy too! Last Thursday was the London Office Tarts for Troops event, with members of staff bringing in a scrumptious selection of sweet and savoury tarts.

Staff from the Blind Veterans UK Llandudno centre celebrate Tarts for Troops.

The Sheffield centre threw their party last week too, where Blind Veterans UK members got a chance to tuck into the some tasty tarts. Llandudno’s Tarts for Troops party was a great success, with Blind Veterans UK staff enjoying their tarts with a glass of fizz.

We just wanted to say a final thank you to everyone who has supported Tarts for Troops. The easiest way to pay in any money you have raised is online. Simply click here and follow the instructions. The money you’ve raised will make a real difference to blind veterans and help us continue to be there for ex-Service men and women.

We’re looking forward to next year already!

Tarts for Troops- One Week to Go!

With less than a week to go, we hope that preparations are well underway for your Tarts for Troops event and that you’re ready to do some serious baking? Haven’t signed up yet? Don’t worry it’s not too late – dust off that rolling pin, get your pinny on and get baking for Blind Veterans Week.

We have lots to update you on for Tarts for Troops, including our first Tarts for Troops event. On Thursday, 31 May, we took to the streets of Brighton to celebrate Tarts for Troops with the team from Juice FM.

Matt Rhodes tells JuiceFM how we have helped him and why you should support Tarts for Troops

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to talk to us on New Road and enjoyed a tart (or two!) alongside the King and Queen of Hearts and the team from Blind Veterans UK. Another big thank you to Forfars, a family run bakery in Sussex, who donated 200 lemon and raspberry jam tarts on the day too.

Matt Rhodes, Blind Veterans UK member, also joined us on the day to tell us encourage everyone to sign up and do their bit to support blind ex-service men and women during Blind Veterans Week.

Tart of the Day entries this week included French cooking extraordinaire Raymond Blanc, who has been kind enough to share with us Maman Blanc’s Apple Tart recipe. The secret of this dish is choosing the right apple – delicious!

We really loved seeing the Military Wives perform at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert on Monday – and they still found time to bake tarts too! Check out Becki Fleming’s Canadian Butter Tarts here.

If you weren’t able to make it down to Brighton – or if you were inspired by our delicious tarts – organise your own Tarts for Troops event. Whether it’s big or small, fancy or simple, every penny you raise will help blind veterans’ lead independent and fulfilling lives.

Tarts for Troops Continues!

Last week was a great week for Tarts for Troops! Tuesday’s Tart of the Day was a delicious recipe from Sarah Hamilton of the Military Wives Choir. Why not experiment and create your own version of Sarah’s Higgledy Piggledy Tart using your favourite summer fruits? Watch out for more Military Wives recipes over the coming weeks!

Stephen Fry won Tart of the Day with his savoury red pesto tart

Another highlight this week has to be the savoury red pesto tart, submitted by none other than the marvelous Stephen Fry. Why not join Stephen and enter your baked creations to be the next Tart of the Day?

Specsavers stores are getting involved in the Tarts for Troops baking frenzy. Stores across the country are celebrating Blind Veterans Week and Armed Forces Week with an eclectic range of tart orientated activities. In Llanelli the team is raising money by decorating their store, baking tarts and dressing up as forces sweethearts. The team at St Helens has got the store directors and local supermarkets to donate ingredients. And with five keen bakers on staff, there will be lots of tarts available at their event which coincides with a parade in the town celebrating Armed Forces Day.

If your local Specsavers is participating why not pop in and join in the fun and help raise money for blind veterans! See our events page for a list of participating stores.

Studio Crafts, a family run jewelers and workshop based in Peacehaven near Brighton East Sussex will also be hosting a Tarts for Troops event on Friday 22^nd June. There will be sweet and savoury tarts on offer in exchange for a donation and one lucky person will also win a Lovelinks bracelet and charm prize on the day. Find out more here.

Up and down the country, people are donning their aprons and pinnies to bake for blind veterans and tucking into some delicious tarts along the way. Join them and register your Tarts for Troops event today!

Tarts for Troops Launches!

Calling all Tarts!

We need you to host a Tarts for Troops party during 18-24 June! Jam tarts, Bakewell tarts, lemon tarts, apple tarts, any kind of tart – all are called upon to do their bit to support blind ex-Service men and women.

Looking for some inspiration? We have lots of recipes to get you started, including the classic jam tart. If you’re particularly proud of your efforts, please enter them for Tart of the Day. Please email photos of your tart creations or your best recipes to fundraising@blindveterans.org.uk or submit them here.

To celebrate the launch, we saw the very first Tarts for Troops tea party – on the top of Mount Snowden! The group set off from Llanberis on Tuesday morning and had to put up with strong winds and snow showers before setting up their picnic table on the summit. Billy Baxter is one of the blind veterans and a member of staff at Blind Veterans UK:

“It was cold and wet with snow underfoot – the kind of conditions which we wanted for an extreme tea party, we just hope it inspires other people to hold Tarts for Troops parties. By getting involved during Blind Veterans Week you can do your bit for those who have served our country. Get your cookbooks out or just buy some tarts and get fundraising for Blind Veterans UK.”

So far we’ve had some fantastic entries for Tart of the Day! Including Cheeky Cheats Raspberry Tarts from Barbara Windsor (no baking necessary), Passion Fruit Brulee Tarts by the Fabulous Baking Brothers and a Treacle Tart from Bex Williamson of the Military Wives Choir. Keep and eye out for new celebrity Tart of the Day entries and register your Tarts for Troops event today!

A day at the races! The Gold Challenge Stadium Event

We had a fantastic time at the Gold Challenge Stadium event on Sunday! It was a brilliant opportunity to have a glimpse inside the Olympic Stadium before the real games start in June. The Stadium is really impressive and there was a great atmosphere all day!

Gold Challenge is a unique event in which participants aim to try as many Olympic and Paralympic sports as they can by the end of 2012, including Archery, Athletics, Kayaking, Fencing, Judo and Table tennis. The Gold Challenge Stadium event was a celebration for those taking part in The Gold Challenge, to reward them for their fantastic fundraising and sporting achievements.

Nine Blind Veterans UK fundraisers were given the chance of a lifetime to run 100m in the Olympic Stadium, before any of the Olympic athletes! Linda, Erik, Ben, Ilona, Richard, Liz, Sandra, Mike and Terianne all put amazing effort into their races. Mike, one of our beneficiaries did brilliantly, coming 3^rd in his race!

Our fantastic runners just before the race

Ilona, our 100k Challenge blogger, has written about her experience of the day:

‘Over 20 years have passed since I last recall running 100m, and the memory of falling headlong is burnt into my psyche. I might have run a marathon, walked 100km and climbed all 3 peaks of Britain since then, but the idea of undertaking an event which left me feeling humiliated in front of all my classmates fills me with horror.

As ever with these things, the dread far outweighs the reality. I’m overwhelmed when I arrive at the park just to be inside it and spend a while just walking round, checking out the runners already competing and soaking up a carnival atmosphere. The weather for April is undoubtedly a huge and unexpected bonus. The camaraderie amongst my fellow Blind Veteran runners means that the hour before we hit the track passes before I know it and we all head to the track with huge smiles on our faces, ready to face it head on. Other runners are facing up to their own personal challenges but all mine consists of is ‘do not fall over!’

I don’t. My thigh muscles burn and my heart pumps like mad but I make it across the line without any mishaps. Then the endorphin rush kicks in and before I know it I am sat on the DLR, medal in hand, grinning like a loon having conquered yet another fear. ‘

Here is Ilona with Erik and Linda, who are hoping to raise £10,000 per Kilometre of the 100k Challenge!

Find out more about the 100k on their website:www.walk100km.com/

Several of the Blind Veterans UK staff were lucky enough to be in the parade. We were all awarded a Gold Challenge medal each and got to meet a few celebrities!

Shernaz shows off her medal!

Emily and Paddington

Here is a video of us joining in the celebrations!

The day was a massive success and a great a warm up to all of the summer’s great events, including the 100k Challenge and Brighton Marathon!

Thank you to all those who participated in the races and joined in on the day!