It just so happens that I've received more information a few minutes ago. I can't post-up personal correspondence as that would be most unfair (and of course, it's not going to encourage TVOC to tell us much, is it?!). Anyway, this is how the situation seems to be:-
Yes, they do need another 250k to keep going and Dr Pleming thinks they might well be able to get this much cash by the end of the month. They have indeed issued redundancy notices because they're obliged to - the project has to be wound-up at the end of the month if the money isn't found, otherwise the Trust has to go into insolvency.
If the 250k figure isn't reached, then the aircraft's future has to be reviewed. There appears to be some possibility of putting the whole project "on hold" but of course even keeping the aircraft in suspended animation would cost yet more money, and make the ultimate goal drift further away.
The key to the project would seem to be the HLF people. Having already put so much cash into the project, it seems crazy that they can't add just a little bit more to see it through - if they don't, then all of their cash is wasted. Pleming says that the HLF will not supply any more cash without a policy decision from the top. Personally, I think this is where TVOC and others ought to be putting pressure on HLF. It is, after all, our money that they are going to be wasting if they don't cough-up another 250k (or less).
David Walton is charging TVOC hangar/storage rent and will continue to do so. I find this quite astonishing, but Pleming points-out that the rest of the hangar is a money-making asset (B&Q etc), but you'd think that of all people, Walton would have helped by waiving such charges... it seems not, and this is where a substantial amount of cash has gone. A staggering 275k so far and another 15k a month from here onwards. Absolutely mind-numbing, isn't it?
Richard Branson has been approached repeatedly but he's evidently not interested. Marshall's are doing the work but they're doing nothing for free - quite the opposite in fact and they're treating the project as a purely commercial venture. Likewise, Rolls Royce are doing nothing and are in fact one of the most expensive parts of the project. British Aerospace is helping by taking-on liability for free, but the boss doesn't want to offer any more financial support than that (even though it sounds like other BAe people do). So these Great British institutions aren't helping at all - in fact they're all busy making a fast buck! Shabby in the extreme...
Pleming also accepts that marketing and promotion has not been as good as it could have been, but like everyone else, he thinks it would be awful if we're left with "a useless hulk" at the end of this month after so much cash has been thrown at the project.
So there we are... not dead and buried just yet, but with three weeks to find about 200k, it's hanging in the balance. You'd think that somebody, somewhere, could find this cash. I really don't know what we can do at this late stage. To add to the problems, Pleming is ill and is going into hospital next week! Out of all this, I find it surprising and vaguely disgusting that key players like Marshalls (who are only too happy to crow about their achievements when it suits them) are doing nothing to support the project other than taking a very hefty fee. Likewise, Rolls Royce of all people, are busy making cash out of the project - shameful. I'm also amazed that when Walton bought the aircraft in the first place, he sees fit to take huge amounts of money just to keep the aircraft on his property. What kind of benefactor is that?!
But worst of all, it seems quite bizarre that after giving 2.7 million, the HLF can't hand-out another 250k to keep the project alive, and thereby avoid wasting their original investment. Absolute madness, and I would have thought that this is the key subject that someone ought to be highlighting in the media. It needs someone with some clout to get the project into the national media, instead of skulking around in local newspapers and regional programmes. Somebody ought to be shouting about how our Great British Companies are just out to make a fast buck out of an important heritage project, and that our beloved HLF seems happy to throw-away millions, all for the sake of spending another small amount. Complete madness!
So, I can only suggest that we try and spread the word. Find those RAF people with history, experience and a respect for the V-Force and see if they can tap the right shoulders to give this project some really high profile publicity while it's still viable. If the aircraft can be restored to flying condition (something which now seems likely early next year if cash is found) then it could be removed from Bruntingthorpe and hopefully relocated to a site where money doesn't have to be shelled-out simply to stand still (Scampton? Honington? Wyton? Marham? Surely the MoD could help-out here without jumping on the money-making bandwagon?).
All ideas gratefully received...!