The bad news continues to filter through, and just now, Robert Pleming has sent through a Survival Appeal update which advises that the deadline of keeping the Vulcan in the air is February 28th, and all employees of Vulcan to the Sky Trust have been put on month's notice - is this the end?
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XH558 Survival Appeal Update
Dear Supporter.
XH558: the deadline has been set – the end of February.
Sadness and grim determination are the main emotions today: the Trust’s funds are such that the decision has now been taken to place all its employees on one month’s notice, as of 1st February.
We have so much to fight for, but with less than one month to avoid shutdown, the pressure is now really on.
On the few occasions when we have been in a similar position before, all XH558’s most loyal supporters have rallied to the cause, and somehow she has been saved. We are not assuming that the same will happen this time, which is why we are enlisting so many more people to help.
In 1941, Sir Winston Churchill said: “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never, in nothing, great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.” We are not giving in.
Mindful that we should not solicit donations whilst we are uncertain about XH558’s future, we are putting 100% of our efforts into the Survival Appeal Pledge Scheme.
We need to raise over £300,000 in new pledges by the end of February to justify a stay of execution, followed by a further £300,000 in March to reach our target of £800,000.
We are therefore launching a number of new activities to secure the immediate future:
· An attempt to set a WORLD RECORD for the number of signatures on a single birthday card for XH558.
· Re-design of the Appeal website to ensure visitors understand our urgent message, with a countdown timer to our deadline of 28th February..
· A sixty-second no-punches-pulled promotional VIDEO, spread via emails, with the goal of going “viral” with our message.
· A written notice and Pledge reply slip to all those on our databases.
· A SURVIVAL RAFFLE, launched by the Vulcan to the Sky Club, to create instant availability of working capital, once we are secured. (Prizes will be honoured by the Club if the worst happens).
· A PROMOTION PACK, distributed with the Club’s Winter magazine, to all club members.
· Targeted ADVERTISING in regional newspapers where affordable.
· Contact with national media and PR agencies to get XH558’s story in front of as many people as possible.
· And of course networking with all existing supporters, sponsors and industry leaders.
If we gather sufficient momentum over the next four weeks, we may well be able to start work on XH558 once again, but we will only do this if we are confident that the target will be met.
In the meantime, work continues at Marshall Aerospace on the detailed planning for the Winter Engineering Programme, whilst our own team are helping with the Appeal.
Assuming we are successful, with the new experienced gained over the past year, we will be building funds throughout the year in all ways possible to avoid the desperate measures we have had to take each winter to keep the dream alive.
Remember our ultimate goal: to be flying down the Mall on 4th June 2012 in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s – and the Vulcan’s – Diamond Jubilee.
As we count down the days of February, all the thousands of our loyal supporters know full well what they will be missing if the worst comes to the worst for XH558. What is most galling, is that there are millions of people who really don’t know what they will have missed. But if they did, they could well decide to help save her.
XH558 is the “People’s Aircraft”. Can the people save her again?
Robert Pleming
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Good Luck all, and please donate or pledge TODAY!!!
This is the last chance!!!
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