Why I'm holding a Great British Sunday Lunch

For Mike Evans and his family, hosting a Great British Sunday Lunch is a chance to remember his grandfather's wartime service and thank the Fund which helped them after his death.

LAC Terence Stuttard was a rear gunner in Bomber Command during the Second World War, flying in Lancasters. Like many veterans of the war, he liked to tell stories about his mates and the camaraderie he found in the RAF but never in detail about what he did.

Mike said: "There were a lot of things about my granddad, we did not find out until he died.

"He was never one to go into detail about things. He would never sing his own praises. He was quite a modest man. 

"He had lots of fantastic stories that he would tell but he never went into any depth. We are very proud of him."

When Mike heard about the RAF Benevolent Fund's Great British Sunday Lunch fundraiser he knew it was the perfect way to pay tribute to his grandfather, who died 16 months ago, and to thank the Fund for its help in the months following his death.

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He added: "We could not have paid for the headstone without the help from the Fund. We are really excited to be involved in Great British Sunday Lunch.

"We are having a traditional Sunday lunch – he was a big fan of Sunday lunch. He would have loved it. We will all gather round and remember him. I have a couple of voice recordings of stories he used to tell very often and we will listen to those."

Mike plans to invite all the family to join him, including one grandson who is currently serving in the RAF as a fast jet navigator.