Supporting the RAF Family Since 1919
One day's service, a lifetime of support
For 107 years, the RAF Benevolent Fund has stood side-by-side with the RAF Family, providing practical, emotional and financial support, whenever needed.
From the Fund’s inception in 1919, through to the Second World War and more recent events, we have been there for serving personnel, veterans and their families - and will continue to be here in the years ahead.
The RAF Benevolent Fund through the years
The aftermath of the First World War
1 April 1918 At the end of the First World War, the recently established RAF has endured 16,000 casualties, leaving 2,600 widows and dependants and 7,500 badly incapacitated men, who often had little or no chance of employment for the rest of their lives.
The RAF Benevolent Fund is founded
1 April 1919 The RAF Benevolent Fund is established as the Royal Air Force Memorial Fund by Air Marshal Sir Hugh Trenchard. It is founded to support the fledgling Royal Air Force by caring for injured airmen and the families of those killed in service and to raise a memorial to airmen who died in the First World War.
The recorded welfare expenditure in 1919 was £919. By 2025, it had risen to £16.8 million, demonstrating how the Fund has grown its support over the decades to meet the evolving needs of the RAF Family. The first assistance that we provided was a shilling for a night's lodging, giving the recipient a chance to seek work.
Outbreak of the Second World War
1 September 1939 The Second World War is widely considered to have begun on 1 September 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Two days later, on September 3, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany.
There for the RAF Family throughout the Second World War
January 1943 As RAF casualties mounted, our staff worked through the night behind blackout curtains to supply grants to families.
We awarded 67,500 grants between 1943 and 1945.
Churchill's radio appeal
August 1951 Winston Churchill appealed on BBC radio on behalf of the RAF Benevolent Fund and helped raise £26,460. This appeal ensured that help was given to the many RAF families left struggling in the aftermath of the Second World War.
HRH The Duke of Kent becomes Fund's President
January 1968 His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent succeeds his mother, Princess Marina The Duchess of Kent, as the Fund’s President, a role he still holds today.
There for the RAF Family now and in the future
2026 The Fund supported 16,189 serving personnel and their families during the year, while 17,452 veterans, their families and the bereaved received dedicated support designed to meet their individual needs. Alongside this direct assistance, more than 52,000 people benefited from community and station-based activities and events, helping members of the RAF Family build connections, access support and strengthen wellbeing.
For 107 years, the RAF Benevolent Fund has stood side-by-side with the RAF Family, providing practical, emotional and financial support whenever needed. From the youngest child to the oldest veteran, we will always be here for all members of the RAF Family - then, now and in the future.
One day's service, a lifetime of support.
Our role in the RAF's history
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