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AVIATION INDUSTRY OFF TO A FLYING START

Aviation Action, a mental health and support charity for aviation workers, may have only launched in May of this year but it has already supported hundreds of people within the industry at a time when they really need it. The charity set out to support people within aviation that have had their employment impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic or are struggling with life changes and employment uncertainty, and they have certainly delivered!

Launched by Chris Wild, Head of Airfield Operations at Manchester Airport, and a team of his industry colleagues at a time when the industry is facing severe job losses, the charity has now helped support over 500 people.

The charity specialises in peer to peer support and has already recruited 80 peers, all like-minded people within the industry or with a strong industry background. The charity’s peer to peer programme includes support, advice, friendship and mentoring, and provides recipients with someone to talk to during difficult periods in their lives.

Alongside the peer to peer activity the charity also has a network of 30 professional supporters which can offer dedicated support focussing on mental health, finance, recruitment, redundancy or even family support. They also run a calendar of online events and webinars to provide information and guidance in areas including resilience, CV building and even how to eat well to maintain a healthy mind.

Aviation Action has already had a number of success stories including Emma, a ground handler who lost her job during lockdown. The charity provided Emma with CV advice and interview preparation, they also helped her with mindfulness and structuring her day in a more positive way when her normal work routine came to an end.

Emma said, “Aviation Action set out to help me with my CV and preparing for interviews, however the support has actually surpassed this and they have also helped me to develop myself mentally. I consider myself a positive person generally, but during a stressful and uncertain time it can be difficult for us to draw from our own ‘psychological toolkit’. Sometimes we need a little extra support and that’s okay”.

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