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Episode details

World Service,25 Apr 2019,53 mins

From homeless child to top firefighter

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Available for over a year

Sabrina Cohen Hatton is one of the UK's most senior firefighters. But really what's remarkable about Sabrina's story is not the position she is in now but what she overcame to get there. After a tragic loss in the family Sabrina left home and ended up living rough on the streets of Wales at just 15 years old. Going to court to give evidence, either as a victim or witness, can be a terrifying experience. But in Melbourne, Australia, there's something new that's been introduced to help people through the process. Julie Morrison helped pioneer the first court dog programme. It's where dogs sit with people as they give evidence and soothe them through the potentially traumatic time. By 1994, the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo had been under siege for two years. Sniper fire and shelling were a daily threat to the residents stuck in the city. Though life was tough, artistic creativity flourished. The heavy metal community was one particularly resilient music scene. Whilst there were still local gigs there was a hunger for something bigger, to know the rest of the world had not forgotten them. A group of firefighters and UN peacekeepers decided that the city needed a big name rock act to keep morale up. Only one rock star was willing to do it, Bruce Dickinson, the frontman of Iron Maiden. The organisers got a venue, and petrol for their power generators. But there was one particular challenge they had to overcome - how do you get a rock star into a city surrounded by warring armies? Image and credit: Sabrina Cohen Hatton

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