NHS Spitfire to fly over Worthing: This is when you can see it

A Spitfire sporting a message of gratitude to the NHS will fly over Worthing this weekend in a journey along the south coast.
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The iconic plane has 'THANK U NHS' painted on the bottom and will be setting off for its maiden flight on Saturday, August 1.

After leaving Duxford Airfield at 11am, it will pass over Worthing Hospital, in Lyndhurst Road, at around 12.18pm.

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Prior to that, it will have passed over hospitals in Hastings, Bexhill, Eastbourne and Brighton, before moving west past Worthing to Bognor Regis.

The NHS Spitfire: George Lewis RomainThe NHS Spitfire: George Lewis Romain
The NHS Spitfire: George Lewis Romain

Members of the public are being given the opportunity to nominate a loved one to have their name hand-written onto the Spitfire to raise money for NHS Charities Together.

The names will be nominated by the public as a way of recognising small acts of kindness throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. From a family member to a kind neighbour, close friend or community hero, the public can now thank them with this special gesture.

In return for their donation, their nominated name will be one of those written on the Spitfire, which has an 80,000 name capacity.

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To submit a name, the public will need to donate a minimum of £10 via the campaign’s JustGiving page, fundraising for the NHS Charities Together, whose funds support staff, patients and volunteers across the country.

They will then need to state their loved one’s name and reason for nomination in their donation comment. The aim is to lift the spirits of those across the UK, many of whom are still living in some form of isolation, whilst also thanking the hospitals, communities and individuals who have been at the forefront of getting the country through the pandemic.

John Romain, founder & managing director of aircraft restoration company, which owns the Spitfire, said: “The response to our initial flight over the last 8pm #clapforourcarers Thursday was incredibly humbling, with hundreds of people from the local community sharing how wonderful it was to not only see the Spitfire, but also to read the message emblazoned across its wings.

"After such positive response we decided to leave the message painted on the Spitfire for the rest of the flying season, this is where the idea to hand write the names of the nation’s loved ones onto the aircraft to raise money for the NHS Charities Together began.”

Donate to the JustGiving page here: www.JustGiving/fundraising/NHSSpitfire

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