I got this yesterday:
Dear Supporters,
There can now be no doubt that XH558 has a guardian angel looking after
her: I can now confirm some really good news that vastly changes the
status of our current Appeal.
Shortly, the Results Graph on our appeal site will show a massive
increase due to a fantastic confirmed donation of £458,000! The donor
has asked to remain anonymous, but I can reassure you that he is fully
aware of the significance of this contribution.
As the result, I have pleasure in confirming that the Board of Trustees
has decided that VTST now has sufficient funding in place to go forward
with the planned engineering programme, and onward to the 2010 Display
Season.
We have to temper this great news with the fact that our Public Appeal
has been waning compared with previous years, probably as a result of
the poor economic conditions and the weariness of boom and bust cycles.
Our main drive this year will be to finally put XH558 onto a firm
business footing, with many new income generation schemes: Educational
Lectures, New Merchandise, Regional Sponsorship, Competitions, and of
course, an ongoing Annual Appeal. We must acknowledge we will continue
to need public support, but gear the appeal over the whole year.
We will now focus our campaign on the 50th Birthday Appeal, which will
also be marketed through our World Record attempt for signatures on
XH558’s Birthday Card, until we launch our fresh campaign in May, aimed
at taking XH558 on into 2011.
Very soon, those who have pledged will be receiving their "redemption"
letters. Please await their arrival before making payment, so we can
accurately record details and apply Gift Aid if applicable.
Your continuing support is much appreciated by everyone who appreciates
what XH558 represents and by all those who have helped XH558 over the
years. She is adored and appreciated by people all over the world. She
is quite simply - the one and only!
Each and every one of us owes a deep debt of gratitude to every
individual who contributed, no matter how small their donation, for
keeping the dream alive.
My sincerest thanks and best wishes to you all,
Robert Pleming.
Vulcan to the Sky Trust.
But what stood out was this:
We have to temper this great news with the fact that our Public Appeal
has been waning compared with previous years, probably as a result of
the poor economic conditions and the weariness of boom and bust cycles.
So nothing to do with inept management then????