Lightning museum for the future

To all Lightning fans out there and infact anybody that feels we need to preserve our aviation heritage, you have all probably seen my QRA hangar thread which has turned into a photographic trip down memory lane. 🙂
If not have a look here http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=48646
But in the interests of our current funding position I thought I would give you some info.
We have so far been on this projetct since Jan 1995 when we aquired the hanger from Wattisham, the demolition comapny Traffalgar House basicly donating the building to us, we then payed the transport costs of £5000.

It then took us 5 years and £3000 to gain planning permission, you would not believe the hoops we had to jump though to build a hangar on an airfield !

We then had to start raising money from our pockets, the open days we are a part of 3 times a year and donations which raised just under £30,000 in 5 years, which when your about to build a hanger is a good working capital to start work with,also we only had a 5 year planning permission window before we had to resubmit the plans which we didnt want to do again. So it was a good time to get a stake in the ground as it were.
All this fund raising was done in line with the on going running costs of two Lightnings, which I will leave to your imaginations to work out.

What Im pushing there is to date we have spent just over £25,000 of the funds and in 14months we have gone from this:

To this:

Most of it done by ourselves at weekends with professional help when we have needed it which is where the large costs always come in.

Basicly what you see here is the frame complete save for a few bits which we will be lifting on this weekend (crane hire £300 per day)
The next large hurdle is the base, current quotes for hardcore fill materials and concrete for the 12,000sqft of floor and apron space is £20,000.
And its this that we need to start raising asap, now we have started we need to carry on.
What we are asking is for your donations how ever small, even £5 which is the cost a tank full of fuel for the generator that runs the power tools on site, it all helps.
If you feel strongly about seeing the two live Lightnings inside at last after 17 and 12 years of outside storage and the creation of a Lightning museum, and their continued fast taxing at our open days which seems to go down well with all who witness it then please make your cheques payable to the Lightning Preservation Group and send them to;

Mr R Norris (LPG treasurer)
2 Spring Hill
Little Staughton
Beds
MK44 2BS
Or visit our web site at http://www.lightnings.org.uk/

And one day in the near future you will see this sight again

Or maybe even this with little bit of organisation

And just to finish if anyone out there needs the use of our aircraft as promtional back drops either running or static we are open to offers

I hope the administrators of the site dont mind me pushing this one

We really need your help to get this thing finished
Thanks in advance
Andy B (LPG)