The Lunch has four core purposes. Over time the emphasis of our fundraising has developed and in recent years we have placed a strong emphasis on helping veterans of all the services into sustainable employment in the civilian world.
Since the inception of the Lunch in 2008, we have raised over £3.7 million to support veterans of HM Armed Forces,
The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch (LMBCL) first took place in April 2008, hosted by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress at Guildhall, the centre of the City of London’s governance, ceremonial and philanthropy.
It would be a Civic and Guildhall event but with a difference; a fixed price allowing guests unlimited curries and accompanying drinks, no seating plan, and everyone would serve themselves – and go back for seconds as often as they wished – and everyone would sit on benches.
From the outset, the Lunch had a number of purposes.
*To raise funds to support veterans of all the services, both Regulars and Reservists, and their families.
*To raise awareness in the City community of the role of the Armed Forces of the Crown. Particularly among a younger generation of City folk.
*To build awareness of the three national service charities that work ceaselessly to support all members of His Majesty's Armed Forces.
*To emphasise to City workers the breadth and depth of the City’s philanthropy in support of those in society who need help in a variety of ways.
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 to help veterans in to work.
For further information on the history of the Lunch, please take a look at our 'History of the Lunch' tab.
From the April 2019 Lunch, part of the proceeds will fund veterans of His Majesty’s Armed Forces to take part in the Pain Management Programme (PMP) at the King Edward VII Hospital's (KEVII) new Centre for Veterans’ Health (CVH).
CVH's PMP is unique in that it is designed solely for veterans. The purpose is to address the individual issues, both physical and psychological, involving pain that prevents a veteran from leading a full life. The CVH team has found that chronic pain is the most significant barrier to a veteran being able to find and sustain meaningful employment, which is the 'backbone' of their future wellbeing and impacts on every other aspect of their personal lives and their families.
It costs £6,500 to fund one veteran through the PMP. In 2025, we hope to fund 16 veterans through the PMP.
They build confidence by helping veterans manage the impact of a major change in situation after leaving the Armed Forces.
They enable veterans to approach working in the civilian workplace with increased confidence and motivation.
The Lord Mayor and the founder co-chair the LMBCL volunteer Committee.
The Committee meets five times a year and includes:
The Wives of Senior Generals, Retired Senior Officers, Government Ministers, Leading Clergy, Aldermen and Sheriffs of the City of London, the Chief Commoner, more than 20 Livery Masters, Livery Clerks, business and professional leaders in the City and members of the London Lieutenancy, including the Lord Lieutenant and Vice Lord Lieutenant.
The Committee owes a huge debt of gratitude to the Corporation for allowing the Lunch to take place from 2019 onwards without any charges being made, thus helping the Committee to contribute a larger sum each year to support members of the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families in so many different ways.
Lord Mayor's Big Curry Lunch 2025 Co-Chairmen
Lord Mayor Alderman Alastair King
Mr Michael Hockney
Vice Patrons
Sir David Lewis
Mr Ian Luder
Mr Nick Anstee
Sir Michael Bear
Sir David Wootton
Dame Fiona Woolf
Sir Alan Yarrow
The Lord Mountevans
Alderman Sir Andrew Parmley
Alderman Sir Charles Bowman
Alderman Sir Peter Estlin
Alderman Sir William Russell
Alderman Vincent Keaveny
Alderman Sir Nicholas Lyons
Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli
Committee Members
The Hon Richard Lyttelton
