A THATCHAM man and local radio enthusiast is appealing for help from West Berkshire residents to help keep a Vulcan bomber flying.
Graeme Miller, a member of the Newbury and District Amateur Radio Society (NADARS), has been involved in the Vulcan Trust for more than two years and has often persuaded the pilot to fly over the district in the past.
He is now appealing for help from people to try to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds after employees from The Vulcan Operating Company were placed on one month’s redundancy notice.
Mr Miller, of Scrivens Mead, said: “I love the air craft and I want people to contribute because it’s for a good cause. We do not want it to end up like the concord – grounded forever.”
The Vulcan bomber, which is the only one of its kind still flying, often flies over Newbury en route to air shows, and to keep it flying for another year the trust needs £650,000.
Mr Miller added: “We have to get £300,000 by the end of February. If we don’t do it, we won’t get it flying again. We then have to raise a further £350,000 by the end of March, but she has a huge following from people all over the world, including places such as Australia.”
Mr Miller also said that NADARS hopes to raise both money and the profile of the iconic jet over the coming month by contacting people all over the world by amateur radio.
Last year the society was involved in raising money for the jet, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in May, by running an amateur radio station from Greenham Common, which resulted in a whopping £1.3m total for the cause.
He added: “The more people who are aware of the situation, the better chance of the aircraft taking to the skies this year.”
If you would like to contribute to the cause, click on the link below.