RAE Wilson from Balfron will return to the one-day festival GrandFest this year to teach the art of preserve making.

Proudly presented by Royal Voluntary Service and now in its second year, the London event celebrates the craft skills of talented older people.

Taking place on Sunday, June 5 in Spitalfields, GrandMakers – older people, all over 70 years old – will run masterclasses to pass on the heritage skills they have learnt and perfected over the years to the younger generation.

As President of Royal Voluntary Service, The Duchess of Cornwall recently met all the talented GrandMakers at the launch of GrandFest 2016 to get a sneak preview of the skills they plan to showcase.

The festival is expected to be even bigger and better than last year, taking over nearby cafes, shops and museums with free master classes in craft skills such as knitting, preserve making, jewellery making and wood turning.

Seventy-five-year-old Rae has volunteered for Royal Voluntary Service for over 10 years.

Her main role is project manager of a weekly lunch club in Stirlingshire, which has been running for nine years.

Rae’s love for cooking began when she was 10 years old, following her mother’s lead.

Being a war-time baby, the only way she was able to have treats was from her mother baking jam and marmalade, which she really appreciated.

She enjoys cooking for her friends at home and at the lunch club.

Rae also makes preserves for Balfron Parish, her local church, and has since passed her skill onto her children and grandchildren, who are very fond of her lemon curd.

She will be hosting preserve making master classes at GrandFest and is thrilled to be part of the event.

She said: "I love making jams, jellies and chutneys. It concerns me that many of the skills older people possess are not being taught to the younger generations and are at risk of dying out.

"So I’m going to show you how to make one of the simplest preserves which I will hope will inspire you to try making more.

"Using the freshest ingredients I’ll be making lemon curd and the best thing is you can eat it virtually straight away."

David McCullough, Chief Executive of the Royal Voluntary Service, said: "Royal Voluntary Service launched GrandFest to celebrate the many skills possessed by older people and to highlight the importance of them continuing to enjoy and share them in later life.

"Last year, GrandFest was a huge success, with hundreds of people booked into master classes to learn a new skill. We are hoping that this year will be even more popular, and are thrilled to have Rae back to pass on her preserve making skills."

Royal Voluntary Service supports over 100,000 older people each month to stay independent in their own homes for longer with tailor made solutions.

Through its army of 36,000 volunteers, the charity runs services such as Good Neighbours (companionship), Meals-on-Wheels and Books-on-Wheels that alleviate loneliness and help older people.

Royal Voluntary Service also provides practical support for older people who have been in hospital through its On Ward Befriending and Home from Hospital services.