The Robert Luff Benevolent Fund (RBLF) was established in January 1991 by Robert Luff CBE, a supporter and President of St John Ambulance in Scarborough. He was a leading theatre impresario and agent for such famous names as Sir Lenny Henry, Beryl Reid and many others and he owned theatres in London, Scarborough, Bournemouth, Morecombe and Eastbourne. This theatre ownership brought him into contact with St John Ambulance volunteers who provided first aid cover to audiences nightly in his theatres.
As a consequence, he was a great admirer of the volunteer spirit that underpins St John Ambulance. He became a significant supporter and was the President of the Scarborough Division for many years.
In 1991, he established The Robert Luff Benevolent Fund to acknowledge and support the dedication and skill of volunteers and repay them for the time and energy they had given to St John Ambulance and their service to the public.