News Update
HMS WHIMBREL Project - Message from Vice Admiral Mike Gretton
As you may be aware we have been working very hard over recent months to complete our negotiations with the Egyptian Government over HMS WHIMBREL (ENS TARIQ) so that, once we have the funds available, we can acquire her. Despite a great deal of effort by the Project Team, we have not succeeded with these negotiations. We are therefore trying a different approach to acquire the ship.
The negotiations for this new approach will take some time. Until the new arrangements are agreed and a revised phasing and costs for the Project have been developed, it would not be appropriate to continue proactively with fundraising. It is not intended therefore that we will be making any new applications and requests for funds until this work is complete.
Because of the pause in our fundraising efforts, we have now made the difficult decision to make the post of Head of Fundraising (Clare Beavan) redundant, in order to keep our running costs to a minimum whilst we carry out our new negotiations.
The Project Team hopes that this will be a comparatively short term delay and we have NO plans at this time to dissolve the charity.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of the HMS WHIMBREL Project and I assure you that the Project Team will continue in its efforts to return HMS WHIMBREL back to Liverpool. Just like the Battle of the Atlantic, which went through serious setbacks, we will succeed in the end!
Mike Gretton
Chairman
