Project Wingman launches wellbeing publication, WingTips
Project Wingman, a charity founded in April 2020 to support NHS staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, is set to launch its inaugural magazine, WingTips, on 14 June.
Project Wingman offers doctors, nurses, carers, and other NHS employees working in hospitals some time out to be taken care of during their breaks, with airline staff – many of whom were unable to work at the start of the pandemic – operating dedicated lounges to relax.
Following Project Wingman’s initial call for volunteers, some 6,500 airline crew representing every UK airline came forward to offer their time. Over 100 static lounges have been set up in the past 14 months, with mobile lounge “WellBee” hitting the road to travel the country earlier this year.
Designed to showcase the achievements of both NHS staff and volunteers from across the aviation sector, WingTips magazine is the brainchild of Project Wingman Co-Founder & CEO, Captain Emma Henderson MBE.
The 36-page magazine has been designed and edited by Simon Caney and Mark Cureton of Bauer Media. In line with the charities aims, the content centres on the theme of wellbeing, with articles on health, travel, sport, lifestyle and gardening.
The magazine is wholly funded by selling advertising pages. Thirty thousand copies will be distributed by Gold Key Media nationally to hospitals, airlines, corporate offices, 5-star hotels, corporate CEOs, Members of Parliament and to members of the House of Lords.
WingTips Publisher, airline Captain Richard Bull, says; “This project has been an incredible journey of learning for myself and the charity. Thankfully I have had some tremendous support from the publishing industry in helping to create this very special magazine. I would like to extend special thanks to Simon Caney and Mark Cureton, Barry Field of Alternative Print Solutions and all of the team at Gold Key Media.
Captain Henderson commented “Producing and publishing WingTips magazine is a project I’m extremely proud of. It’s a terrific magazine and most of all I really hope that when people read it, they find something within it that benefits their mental health and well-being, even in a small way.”
Founding sponsor and continuous supporter of the charity, Gold Key Media, are a specialist distributor of media to the travel sector, supplying over 3,000 of the world’s finest hotels, airlines and rail networks with media in print and digital format on a global basis. When the pandemic began, Gold Key Media sought permission from their publishing clients to donate their publications to the NHS and distribute them via Project Wingman lounges across the UK. So far, they have sourced and donated over 2.85 million newspapers, magazines and donations to the NHS with an estimated retail value of GBP£8 million.
Professor Rob Bor, an original co-founder confirms “Project Wingman is a unique and practical demonstration of how front-line workers can be supported at a time of considerable professional and personal stress. The relevance of aircrew’s unique skill set is to provide listening and well-being support”.
