Lord Trenchard founded the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund in 1919, one year after the formation of the Royal Air Force. In our first year, welfare expenditure was £919. The first welfare asssitance we gave was a shilling for a night's lodging to give the recipient a chance to seek work. Other early assistance included money to provide a beneficiary with tools of their trade and the repair of a pair of working boots. In 2008 we spent over £19 million on welfare provision.
We were originally known as The Royal Air Force Memorial Fund as one of our charitable objects was to raise a memorial to airmen who died in the First World War. 
The memorial was completed in 1923. The monument, in Portland stone surmounted by a gilded eagle, can be seen on Victoria Embankment.
We were awarded a Royal Charter in 1999 and this was updated in 2008 by the addition of a new charitable object to permit us to work towards supporting the morale and well-being of the serving RAF.
You can explore our heritage further and listen to audio clips of Winston Churchill and Lord Trenchard on our 90 faces of the RAF Benevolent Fund website.
Further information
