Kinloss pilot's project flying high at Dr Gray's
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An airline pilot from Moray has gathered together a team of 5500 cabin crew volunteers who are helping in 60 hospitals right across the UK.
Captain Emma Henderson is the co-founder of the remarkable Project Wingman.
Set up just 14 weeks ago, it has seen makeshift 'lounge areas' created within hospitals, including Dr Gray's in Elgin.
Here, harassed NHS staff are given the sort of care and attention they would receive if they flew first class.
Project Wingman's volunteers come from 25 different airlines.
Some, like Emma, have been furloughed from their jobs.
Others have been made redundant.
Emma said: "We all saw the news reports which showed how much extra strain NHS staff were under due to Covid-19.
"They were dealing with so much heartache, and there was no idea about how much worse it could get.
"It got to the point where virtually everybody was needing support.
"The aim of the lounges is to be a calm environment where medical staff can get away from the stress – at least for a short while.
"Our volunteers are there to provide snacks, have a chat, or just lend a sympathetic ear."
"A little thing, such as cup of tea that you haven't had to make yourself, can mean an awful lot sometimes.
"Our motto is, 'everyone needs a wingman'."
Emma lives in Kinloss with her husband Jim, who's a Wing Commander at RAF Lossiemouth.
Underlining the utter strangeness of life since lockdown, she has never actually met the other co-founder of Project Wingman.
Dave Fielding lives in London and is also a pilot, although he works for a different airline.
The pair were introduced by a mutual colleague, after they felt moved to help the NHS.
Communicating over the internet, they hit upon the idea for Project Wingman.
Both have been completely astonished by the huge number of people who have stepped forward.
Emma, whose work as a pilot featured last year in the second series of the ITV documentary Inside the Cockpit, said: "It's just been amazing.
"And the fact they are all volunteers means they tend to be a certain type of person.
"They care about other people and they're team players. It's a wonderful environment to work in."
Despite only being in existence for such a brief period Project Wingman has already diversified.
Having gained charitable status, it has now begun acting as a not-for-profit recruitment agency for airline staff.
It is also looking to work with the homeless and with refugees.
In addition, on Friday it began WingmanWorkout, a fundraising effort to 'virtually' run, walk and cycle around the world.
Emma said: "If you'd have told me four months ago that this is what I'd be doing now, I'd have said you were crazy.
"But it's been good for me. It's kept me occupied and given me a focus.
"In fact, I'm sure doing this has given us all a sense of purpose, identity and pride."
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