Over 1600 people gathered at London’s Guildhall on Thursday 16th April for the 19th Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch, hosted by the Rt Hon. the Lady Mayor Alderwoman Dame Susan Langley and the Lady Mayor’s Consort Mr Gary Langley.
The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch brings together hundreds of leaders and decision makers from across all sectors of the City of London and beyond, to raise funds to support veterans of His Majesty’s Armed Forces into employment.
The Royal guest at this year’s Lunch was His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester. He had the opportunity to meet veterans and beneficiaries of all three services, including those who have been supported through the programmes directly funded by the Lunch. He was also able to meet sponsors, the teams running the Livery stalls, and volunteers.
Attending as special guests of the ABF were Army veterans, Kate and Peter, who have both received the support of the charty to move forward with their lives. We provided Peter, a disabled veteran, with a grant towards a mobility vehicle that has given him back his independence, and supported Kate to re-train after her military career. They were joined by individuals supported by the Warrior Programme and by former soldiers, Adele and Neil, both of whom have attended a Lifeworks course.
Through the generosity of sponsors, supporters, and those attending the lunch, the Committee is able to give the entire proceeds of the Lunch to support its charitable purposes.
From 2019 onwards, the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch has aligned with the employment and employability strand of the Civic and Mayoral strategy, “A Better City For All” by providing financial support for veterans to take part in two programmes that help them into work.
This year the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch Committee aims to fund 65 veterans through a Lifeworks programme, which offers practical advice, guidance, and support to prepare former service personnel for employment in the civilian world. We are also for the first time supporting the Warrior Programme, which provides an intensive personal, motivation and training course for veterans and their families: this year’s lunch will enable up to 40 individuals to take part and to build mental strength and resilience.
The three single Service charities (the Army Benevolent Fund, the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund) are very grateful to The Lady Mayor of London for hosting the Lunch. We also thank the principal sponsor, Azad Ayub; the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch Committee, chaired by Michael Hockney MBE, a former ABF trustee; and all our generous commercial, Livery, Ward Club, City Club, and private supporters, as well as over 350 military and civilian volunteers, and of course the guests, who together made this year’s event such a memorable occasion.
Since the first Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch in 2008, we have distributed over £4.2 million to support the veterans of His Majesty’s Armed Forces. We expect to add significantly to this amount given the high attendance at this year’s event.
Prize draw still open to win unique timepiece and support Armed Forces veterans
While this year’s event is now over, there’s still time to show your support for veterans by entering our prize draw to win the unique Battle of Britain watch.
This is a beautiful bespoke timepiece in a limited edition of one, designed and handcrafted by Pinchbeck Watchmakers, presented in a bespoke display box which includes an authentic fragment of a Hurricane from the WWII Battle of Britain.
For the opportunity to win this unique prize, enter our prize draw and bid £20 (if you are over 18). 100% of the money raised from the draw will go towards supporting veterans into employment. The draw closes on 13th May at 5.30pm; the winning ticket will then be drawn by the Lady Mayor at the post-lunch reception at Carpenters Hall.
