THE charity behind the iconic Vulcan Bomber XH558, a past favourite of Bournemouth Air Festival, needs help to safeguard its future.

Trustees at the Vulcan to the Sky Trust are calling for donations to help save the Cold War bomber, as the charity's lease on its hanger runs out.

A number of the organisations staff have also been let go, in a bid to save funds.

Vulcan to the Sky Trust chief executive Robert Pleming explained: "Over the past six months we have been working with the airport on our plans to progress a superb, purpose-built hangar for XH558.

"While both parties are confident of a successful outcome, the short term challenge is that we must vacate hangar three as our lease has expired.

"This creates a funding challenge because the revenue-earning businesses that are vital for her care must be temporarily suspended. We have had to make some very tough decisions."

Among those tough decisions is the call to slim down the trust team from 22 to just eight fulltime staff.

Mr Pleming said: "I am very sad to lose many highly talented colleagues who have worked incredibly hard to achieve a remarkable eight years of display flying that many thought would be impossible. I cannot thank them enough.

"This is a bitter decision, but one that is necessary to ensure Vulcan XH558 continues to be protected while we rebuild the Trust around our goals for the future.”

The Vulcan, which proved itself a crowd favourite at successive Bournemouth Air Festivals, landed for the final time in 2015.

At the end of January she'll be towed out of her period hanger home at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, before heading for storage - hopefully only a temporary move.

Then the trust and the airport hope to conclude an agreement to build a new hanger, which will allow the resumption of tours, educational visits and engineering activities.

Philanthropists have offered to match fund any public donations.

Visit vulcantothesky.org for further information.