Hatrack Heroes!

Elle & Arthur
Hatrack Heroes!

Have you ever wondered about the “glamorous” lives led by beautiful cabin crew or well-navigated pilots? Well, it’s not necessarily about the shopping we might do, the beaches we sun-bake on, or the hotels and restaurants we frequent. In fact, it is often about experiencing countries from the farthest corners of the globe, and seeing first-hand the many sad and horrific situations faced by these societies. As a result, many selfless airline crew are deeply involved with a number of lesser-known charities and non-profit organisations around the world, dedicating their time and money toward helping the disadvantaged. Whether it be vulnerable children, migrant worker conditions, or perhaps animal cruelty, Hatrack Heroes! aims to raise awareness of these organisations, and give you an insight into their day to day lives. In this podcast we find out what these charities are doing, who they are, and how they are dealing with the issues faced. By listening, we hope these emotional and heartwarming stories will impact you in some way, even if it just makes you THINK!

  1. 22/03/2021

    Hope For The Vulnerable

    Have you ever had a moment where you've felt vulnerable? A moment where you've felt uncomfortable and with what feels like a minimal amount of control over a situation? If you have, then you might have a small inkling about what the children of the small town of Senya-Beraku on the coast of Ghana, two hours from Accra feel. However, these children have grown up with this vulnerability staring them in the face every day pretty much from the moment they open their eyes into this world. Whether they are an orphan, or whether they've just been left in a room by the mother, to fend for themselves... just like the child our guest in this episode talks about. Alejandro Magalhaes is airline crew in the Middle East, and due to the current situation for travel (or lack of), he was able to take time out from his work to venture into the world of volunteering with Becky's Foundation.  Hear his story on how he managed to find his way to Ghana, the planning he made for his journey, and then the eye-opening experiences that were thrust upon him when he arrived. Emotions can get the better of anyone, and with Alejandro it was no different, as he was able to find connections with many of the children in the foundation... from a football wizz, to fleet-footed dancers, to a little girl called Mary 'cheeky'. Alejandro also gives his thoughts on the trials and tribulations of volunteer work, and offers a warning to those of you who might be thinking of doing this kind of thing.  Is volunteer work something for you? Find out more from Alejandro in this interesting chat.

    36 min
  2. 15/03/2021

    A Hug In A Mug (Part 2)

    We've been living in a strange and overall depressing kind of world for a while now... Covid has ripped lives apart, physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Many of us have come to terms with the restrictions, and living our lives the best way we can, and this includes the many thousands upon thousands of airline crew who were made redundant throughout this whole time. Yes, they may have lost their jobs, just like many others, but one such crew saw an opportunity, a possibility to bring a beacon of light in dark times. Captain Emma Henderson MBE is our guest for part 2 of an amazing and uplifting chat that I believe will be one that you will all enjoy listening to, and especially relate to. Emma is the Founder/CEO of 'Project Wingman', a not-for-profit organisation run 100% by volunteers, mainly across the UK.  'Project Wingman' is a collective of ex-airline crew volunteers, who may have been made redundant or furloughed, and are using there time to give back to those doing their utmost during these times - those being the workers of the NHS. Coined by Emma herself, she likes to refer to what these volunteers do as 'a hug in a mug', basically offering the simple thing of a tea or a coffee in a hospital based 'lounge setup', but arguably more importantly an ear... to listen, to show care, to show empathy... just giving someone the time, and letting them know that what they are doing for us is truly being appreciated on a personal level. What Emma has started is truly remarkable, and something that many in the NHS are so very thankful for right now.  Throughout the chat, you can really feel how passionate and devoted Emma is to 'Project Wingman'. It is truly inspirational to hear what Emma has done since this pandemic started, and it was a real pleasure being able to chat with her, and hear first hand about all everything her and her remarkable team are doing. We hope you enjoy.

    38 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Have you ever wondered about the “glamorous” lives led by beautiful cabin crew or well-navigated pilots? Well, it’s not necessarily about the shopping we might do, the beaches we sun-bake on, or the hotels and restaurants we frequent. In fact, it is often about experiencing countries from the farthest corners of the globe, and seeing first-hand the many sad and horrific situations faced by these societies. As a result, many selfless airline crew are deeply involved with a number of lesser-known charities and non-profit organisations around the world, dedicating their time and money toward helping the disadvantaged. Whether it be vulnerable children, migrant worker conditions, or perhaps animal cruelty, Hatrack Heroes! aims to raise awareness of these organisations, and give you an insight into their day to day lives. In this podcast we find out what these charities are doing, who they are, and how they are dealing with the issues faced. By listening, we hope these emotional and heartwarming stories will impact you in some way, even if it just makes you THINK!

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