The newsletter for ground operations
September 2014
//////////////////////////// Mark, Set, Go! Mark Fleming is gearing up for an ironman competition – and needs your help for a good cause. Why do you want to do an Ironman? I want to do the iron man because I feel it’s the biggest challenge there is in sport. Everyone I talk to tells me it’s a very hard event to participate in, and the impression I get back is that you have to be this super-fit human being. I want to prove that you don’t have to be this crazy fit person but if you have the motivation and commitment, then yes, I and others can complete this event. What training are you doing to prepare? The training is five to six days a week. I am doing lots of cycling, running and swimming. I try to fit in 15 to 20 hours per week. I swim in the pool and the sea – the reason being that in the pool I do lengths to improve my endurance, but I need to swim in the sea to improve my strength as it’s rough most of the time. I run between 25 and 30km every third or fourth day. Finally, I try do 80 or 90km twice to three times a week on the bike.
What does Ironman entail? Basically it entails a 3.86km swim in the sea, a 180km cycle, and finally run a full marathon – 26.2 miles. Most ironman events expect competitors to complete the event in around 17 hours. What motivates you when you feel like giving up? I think of the less fortunate people who cannot do this, people who may be disabled or have an illness. That is what drives me on. I am lucky to be able to do an event like this, so I have no excuses to hit any kind of wall. What tip would you give someone who doesn’t exercise but wants to start? No matter how busy your life is, start off by fitting in two one-hour sessions a week. Start off running in your local park. Join a fitness class with your mates. Join the Bike To Work scheme and get out there. You’ll feel great. Doing exercise will become your new evening soap, Fair City will be a thing of the past!
What do your family, friends and employers think of you doing this? My family, friends and workmates think this is a great thing I am doing. Not only the event, but doing it for charity also. It creates a good atmosphere around the place and it’s a privilege to be a part of. Does it make it easier knowing that you will raise funds for St Francis Hospice and the Jack and Jill Foundation? Yes, it makes it a hell of a lot easier knowing I am doing this event for charity the St Francis Hospice and Jack and Jill Foundation. When training, I think of these two organisations and it spurs me on. And knowing the funds we raise will make such a difference to the lives of many people is an honour, but also a great sense of satisfaction. We all know the day-to-day hardship these people go through, so to get involved and help out is amazing.
Thank You!
Welcome to the first edition of our Ground Operations newsletter. The Engagement Team has done a fantastic job in bringing this together and I really hope you enjoy the content. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all most sincerely for what has been a tremendously difficult summer. Your contributions to keeping the show on the road have been nothing short of outstanding; we could not have gotten through the summer season without your commitment and dedication. Thank you,
Mike, Gabriel & Rob
Mark is competing in IRONMAN Barcelona on Sunday October 5th 2014 Please support Mark to raise much needed funds for our two chosen charities. Sponsorship cards are available from your Engagement Team
1
Apps for your IPAD In this issue of our newsletter we have looked at a selection of apps and recommended sites promoting applications for your iPad that are free to download.
Apps gone free:
Find great apps without Available on: spending a cent. Get yourself high quality paid apps for free each day. Expert picked top ranked apps, for FREE!
Appiday Eu:
Why is this app different? It lists Available on: only the best apps free to download everyday! No rubbish, and no time lost! Good selection.
Flipboard:
Social news magazine that Available on: gives you news and updates from around the globe, all in one place. Catch up with everything from your favourite team to the latest in tech or design, and of course free apps daily. A brilliant free magazine.
Free App report: Available on:
More free apps, games and utilities daily.
No place like home
T
he Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation was founded by Jonathan Irwin and his wife Senator Mary-Ann O’Brien in 1997 to provide home nursing care for children with severe to profound developmental delay requiring end of life care in the home. It was set up as a direct response to the Irwins’ experience of caring at home for their son Jack. Jack was born in 1996, a healthy bouncy baby – but two days later he suffered invasive trauma in the hospital nursery, leaving him severely brain damaged. Jack sadly died in 1997, but his memory and his homecare blueprint live on through Jack & Jill, driven by his parents’ pledge that no family should have to walk this pathway alone. Before Jack & Jill there were no state services to care for severely disabled children at home. His short life showed his parents the ideal way in which children like Jack can be nursed and how underneath all of this pain and disability is a child who does better – medically, emotionally, financially and socially – at home. From their experience evolved the Jack & Jill model of home nursing care that has supported nearly 1,800 children and their families all over Ireland since 1997. Today the foundation is the only Irish charity providing home nursing care (from birth to four years old) for children with brain damage who suffer severe intellectual and physical trauma,
and end-oflife nursing care of up to 80 hours per month for all children who require it from birth to four years of age. Jack & Jill provides the direct funding to families, enabling them to buy home respite care to give them a break. Each €16 donated funds one home nursing hour, which is a “gift of time” to the families enabling them to do the normal things we all take for granted like sleeping, spending time with their other children, working, going for a walk or meeting a friend for coffee. With less than 20 per cent of its funding coming from the State, the Jack & Jill Foundation relies on the generosity of the public and its corporate partners to keep going and has raised over €50 million privately since 1997 while receiving less than €5 million in State funding throughout that time. Today it is facing a current shortfall in funding of €200,000 to the end of 2014 but the team is optimistic that current campaigns like “Up the Hill for Jack & Jill”, which runs throughout September, will fill the funding gap.
www.jackandjill.ie In our next issue we will focus on our other charity, St Francis’ Hospice.
Wireless security: stay safe
Did you know that your passport and credit cards may contain radio frequency identification technology (RFID)? RFID is the wireless noncontact use of radio frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer electronically stored information for the purpose of automatically identifying and tracking objects such as passports, credit/debit/ATM cards, and products. This tap-and-go technology is now at the disposal of everybody. It could be vulnerable, in the right circumstances, to electronic pick pocketing or sniffing by
identity thieves at home and abroad, using easily obtained readers or apps without even taking possession of your cards and documents. The European Commission recently reported that more than one million people may be victims of cybercrime around the world each day. Credit card details are being sold by organised crime groups for as little as €1 per card, and bank details for as little as €60 – the cost of which may reach $388 billion worldwide. There are passport covers and wallets available on the market that claim to block the RFID signal should these
circumstances arise: you can never be too careful, considering the broadreaching implications of identity theft or unauthorised transactions while at home or travelling abroad. While this piece is not intended to create alarm, it can at least create an awareness of the dangers of RFID technology and its vulnerabilities in our everyday lives – and enable those of us who use this technology in our cards and passports to travel safer.
For further reading see www.identity-theftawareness.com
If you have any articles, photos or events you would like included in your newsletter please email them to: turnaround@aerlingus.com 2
Health & Wellbeing:
A
Top Tips
s adults we spend most of our waking lives on the job, which makes attaining a real and lasting sense of contentment at work a huge factor in our overall happiness and personal wellbeing. Unfortunately, the reality is that the work environment can sometimes be a stressful place. If we’re not careful with how we approach our work it can keep us awake at night, affect our personal lives and have a negative impact on our health. But never fear, because we’ve put together some invaluable pointers to guide you towards finding contentment! Personal One of the most important things to remember when at your job is not to take things personally! Work is work: problems and occupational stress are to be expected from time to time. But try to be resilient in the face of adversity and don’t allow perceived problems to lead you into feelings such as guilt, frustration or anger. Sure, this may be easier said than done, but the following tips will help point you in the right direction. Avoid the blame game If and when something goes wrong, don’t apportion blame – either to yourself or others. Instead, address the problem by looking at what you can do to solve it and work towards identifying the measures you can take to avoid it reoccurring in the future. Live in the now! Pay heed to the Zen masters and mindfulness maestros – there is only the present moment in which to operate, none other. When we over-burden ourselves with possibilities and maybes and what-ifs, we surrender much of our power to focus on our present happiness. Be a team player The workplace should never be an environment where it’s everyone for themselves. Others need you in order to
do their jobs properly, just as you need them to do yours. It’s a collaborative effort. Lending a helping hand to others or being mindful of their needs will lead to a far more productive and positive space. Be communicative Try to express your thoughts, needs and ideas as clearly as you can. Not only will this help you connect more effectively with your colleagues, it’ll also help you to clarify your own thoughts and feelings too. Take a breather Always make the effort to allow yourself some breathing space. You should really make an effort to free up a few brief moments of reprieve throughout the day. This will allow you to respond to obligations and requests with an appropriate action rather than just a reaction. Disconnect When you are away from work, turn your attention to other things. That means that between certain hours you shouldn’t check email or worry about tomorrow’s to-do list unless you absolutely must. It’s up to you to draw the line and make the distinction between your personal and professional life. Intranet Remember, we have our Health & Wellbeing site on the Intranet. Get all the latest updates on classes being held and general health advice from the Health and Safety Team. The site is available via mobile & tablet devices. Go to www. aerlinguswellbeing.com and enter the password: employee wellbeing
Calling all Volleyball Enthusiasts: Conor Keeling and Pat Lynch founded the Aer Lingus Volleyball Club in June 1984. Over the years the Club has gone from strength to strength, and with five teams is one of the biggest in the country. Aer Lingus is the most successful volleyball club in Ireland, having won 44 national titles since its foundation. The club has also won more Player All Star Awards than any other club in Irish volleyball history. Aer Lingus Volleyball Club has had many of its players on the Irish national teams over the years and some have held national coaching positions on both the Irish ladies’ and men’s teams. Thanks to the fantastic sports facilities in ALSAA, the club has hosted the National Championship Finals on five separate occasions. The Aer Lingus Volleyball Club is currently looking for players, both male and female, for its Premier and First Division teams. If you are interested in joining any of the teams for training, league competition or just for a bit of fun do not hesitate to contact: Gerry White T: +00353 1 8126279 W: +00353 87 9056445 Maciej Dzieledziak M: +353 87 2419599
If you have any articles, photos or events you would like included in your newsletter please email them to: turnaround@aerlingus.com 3
Toronto
by Shirley Harford
Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. There are plenty of places to keep you interested, such as the Royal Ontario museum with its bizarre jagged glass exterior. It houses one of Canada’s largest collections of dinosaurs and a bat cave simulation that is a creepy family favourite.
Competition:
Jerpoint Glass Studio
Centre Island is one of a series of small islands that comprise the largest urban car-free community in North America. It offers a place for relaxation and features an amusement park, recreation areas, beaches, a yacht club and restaurants. Sports enthusiasts will enjoy the Hockey Hall of Fame, full of interactive exhibits that put kids or adults in the heat of NHL action. The Broadcast Pods let you call the action of some of the most famous hockey games! Those with a head for heights will appreciate the CN Tower: at 1,815 feet it attracts millions of tourists looking for a bird’s eye view of Toronto and the surrounding areas from its transparentfloored observation deck. Kids under 10 will love Riverdale Farm, 7.5 acres of green-land modelled on 20th century Ontario farm life set in Old Cabbagetown, a beautifully gentrified and historic part of town. At Riverdale you step inside a world where cellphones, fast food and TV do not exist. For more exotic animals visit Toronto Zoo, home to over 5,000 animals from all over the world in 710 acres of the beautiful Rouge Valley in Toronto. And if that’s not enough you can enjoy the thrills of Canada’s Wonderland theme park. It’s a bit of a trek out of town but it’s a great way to amuse kids for a day with rides, live shows and a water park.
Celebrating 35 years in business, renowned glassmaker Jerpoint Glass has teamed up with Turnaround to offer you a chance to win an exclusive gift from their range of Irish handmade glassware. Jerpoint Glass is delighted to offer this hand-crafted jug and four beakers in their bespoke ‘festival’ colour to one lucky reader! At the family-run glassblowing studio in the heart of Ireland, skilled craftsmen create the beautiful glassware range using simple hand tools and 2,000-year-old traditions. Jerpoint host regular glassblowing demonstrations, attracting visitors from across the globe to their studio and shop in Co Kilkenny. Visit www.jerpointglass.com for a selection of hand-crafted gift ideas available in custom Jerpoint colours. Don’t miss Fran Power’s ‘master-class’ at Jerpoint Glass in September’s Cara magazine!
Out & About:
There was a great turnout for the bowling night organised by Margaret Leap on Thursday August 28th. The teams were named after USA destinations: MCO, JFK, BOS, ORD and SFO. Gabriel Kelly donated prize money for the winning team which were perfume for the ladies and aftershave for the men. Margaret’s husband Paul donated a bottle of whiskey for the winner from his company Online Logistics. Everyone commented on how well they were treated by the staff at the ALSAA and thanks to Margaret for the huge effort she put in to make the night a huge success. Everyone is looking forward to the next event.
Save the Date:
The engagement team are planning a Night out at the Dogs in Shelbourne Park on Thursday October 16th. Keep an eye out for the posters giving you full information on the night, coming to a notice board near you.
To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, simply email turnaround@aerlingus.com with your name, staff number and answer to the following question:
Which of these is not an ironman sport? a) Swimming b) Cycling c) Javelin Jerpoint Glass Studio, Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny | T: +353 56 7724778 www.jerpointglass.com
If you have any articles, photos or events you would like included in your newsletter please email them to: turnaround@aerlingus.com 4