Airshow supporters are being asked to pitch in to help raise £70,000 to bring it back to Southend this year.

Organisers hope to hold the Southend Airshow and Military Festival on September 6 and 7, but need another £70,000 for it to happen.

The Save Southend Airshow campaign, backed by the Echo, has raised £150,000 so far, but needs to raise the rest by the end of March and has set up a web page to make it easy for people to donate.

The regular summer airshow was scrapped last year when Southend Council withdrew its funding, but a campaign led on Facebook by campaigners John Delaney and Tom Curtis has led to a surge of support. Now people can go online to make a pledge.

A statement from John and Tom said: “There is just nine weeks to hit our target. We have raised an amazing £150,000 so far and are so close to achieving our goal, but we need to raise a further £70,000 or there will be no airshow in 2014.

“If we fail to meet the targets, the funds raised through donations will be allocated to our five chosen charities.”

Former Southend mayor Nora Goodman, who is helping with the campaign, said: “The other day one of my friends said ‘I don’t mind putting a tenner in’ – if everyone I knew did that we’d be well on our way.

“We have to start thinking about small amounts now, because if we don’t manage to raise the money it can’t go ahead.”

She added: “What we have planned is the biggest and best airshow Southend, maybe even the country, has ever produced.”

The new donation page is available online via the Bmycharity website and is available at www.bmycharity.com/charities/SouthendAirshow.