Heartbeat: Emma Whitehouse – from the skies to Sandwell

April 20, 2021

From looking after passengers at 37,000 feet, Emma Whitehouse joined the Trust last year due to the national lockdown.

Emma from West Bromwich worked as an air hostess for leading German airline, Touristik Union International (known in the UK as TUI – trusted unique and inspired) when the pandemic struck. The majority of flights across the globe hit a standstill. Though the planes were on the tarmac, Emma felt like she wanted to do something more and give back.

“I have many friends and family members who work for the NHS, so I knew how much pressure they were under and wanted to do whatever I could to help,” said Emma.

“At the start of lockdown, I was struggling mentally being stuck at home. I am used to travelling like I have been doing for the past seven years as an air hostess and across the country as a cabin crew trainer. I was at Gatwick at the time we went into lockdown so to go from that to nothing was a real shock to the system.”

Emma initially started with Trust during the first lockdown from April 2020 – June2020 working for the ward services department cleaning around the wards and serving meals. When the restrictions eased last summer, she went back to work for a brief period, but when the second lockdown hit again in autumn, she joined our laundry service helping maintain scrubs and keep wards stocked.

Though she hopes to go back to her air hostess role at some point in 2021, Emma enjoys working at the Trust. She told us: “Working at Sandwell was the perfect solution for me as I could support my local hospital whilst keeping busy and doing something useful. It made perfect sense in my mind as I live just over the road from the hospital.”

Emma added: “I have found that many staff share a similar mentality to that of cabin crew. They’re flexible, adaptable and hard-working so it was easy enough for me to fit in. It does feel a bit strange having a routine as I’m normally used to a changing roster and not knowing if I’m coming or going.”

We all hope Emma can return to her air hostess role at some point this year, but if you are in and around the laundry room, do fly by to say hello!