The appeal for funds for the restoration of the WORLDS LAST VULCAN BOMBER CAPABLE OF FLIGHT, XH558, has just hit a brick wall !!It is Alleged that the UK's "HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND" have now formally refused to assist in the project for what I believe to be very unsatisfactory reasons.The Vulcan To The Sky company have asked for a Miserable

i totally agree with you that the vulcan should be saved i have already sent e-mails to the hlf but have had no response from them i have also sent e-mails to my local mp and the mod to see if they can help .

(/sarcasm)Your post says it all Phoenix :)

As a fundraiser by trade, I will humbly submit that there are better ways to spend time and money. One the first thing you learn is just because someone has money doesn't mean they want to give it to you. They should not have been surprised by this outcome - the Lottery foundation does not support restoring aircraft to flight. It says so right in the article on the front page. The fact that they give money to other causes that appear frivolous is irrelevant. Those are causes the foundation has chosen to support.Very few foundations make exceptions to their guidelines for giving. There are much better ways to spend your fundraising time than chasing organizations that are not interested in your project. The second lesson you learn is to not put all of your eggs in one basket. First, very few funders ever bankroll the cost of an entire project. Second, the rule of thumb is that you will be rejected four out of every five times in an economy like the one we are experiencing. So, you better be talking to a lot of people. Instead of appealing, this group should spend their time doing research on organizations and individuals who give money to projects like the Vulcan. I would start with the annual reports from the Imperial War Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Flight in Seattle and what used to be called the Confederate Air Force. Off the top of my head, I think these are probably the most active groups in historic aircraft restoration. Donors are listed in annual reports, sometimes even with the amounts of their gift. That would be a good start. My secondary list would come from the corporate foundations of the primary contractors for the aircraft (or their corporate decendants as AVRO doesn't exist as AVRO any more). Then, I would roll up my sleeves and get the annual reports from every air museum in the Western World and see who is making large gifts for aircraft restoration. The owner of Evergreen would be on my list as well, as he dropped a lot of coin shipping the Spruce Goose to Oregon a couple of years ago as the centerpiece of his air museum. Then, you make up a gift chart showing how you are going to get to your goal. The rule of thumb here is a lead gift of half the campaign amount (the Evergreen AVRO Vulcan Restoration Project), with major gifts of approximately 10% to 15% of the lead gift making up most of the rest. Finally, you go to aicraft lovers and RAF Veterans who flew the birds everywhere and ask for $100 to finish the job. This "pyramid" actually helps you fundraise. A large number of donors looks good when you are going after money. The project is successful and fundable if a lot of folks have signed on. So,vent and scream and get your agression out. I know it feels good. I do it a lot myself. But then be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Don't waste your time writing to your MP. Help the group trying to restore the bird find donors by suggesting the names of people and foundations you know who support aircraft restoration. The whole "six degrees of separation" really works in a small comunity like aviation. You would be surprised the your friend of a friend might just be the angel you have been looking for. Fundraising is not easy. This is not the first worthwhile project not to recieve government money, and it won't be the last. Rejection is part of the game. Remember, you will be rejected four out of every five times, NO MATTER HOW GOOD OR WORTHWHILE YOUR PROJECT. Now, where can I send my $50 to help the campaign?