/**
         * Send the actual notification email
         * @param \Users\Model\Entity\User $user
         * @param \NotificationCenter\Model\Entity\Notification $notification
         * @return bool
         */
        protected function _sendEmail(\Users\Model\Entity\User $user, \NotificationCenter\Model\Entity\Notification $notification) {

            //see if this user has any outstanding notifications that have not been viewed yet
            $unreadNotifications = $this->NotificationsUsers->find()
                                                            ->where([
                                                                'NotificationsUsers.user_id' => $user->id,
                                                                'NotificationsUsers.sent' => 1,
                                                                'NotificationsUsers.displayed' => 0
                                                            ])
                                                            ->contain([
                                                                'Notifications'
                                                            ])
                                                            ->order([
                                                                'NotificationsUsers.sent_at' => 'desc'
                                                            ]);


            //switch locale based on user's preferred language
            \Cake\I18n\I18n::locale($this->localelist[$user->last_language_id]);


            //pick the right subject line
            if ($unreadNotifications->count() == 0) {
                $subject = __d('notification_center', 'You have received a new alert');
            } else {
                $subject = __d('notification_center', 'You have {0} unread alerts waiting', ($unreadNotifications->count() + 1));
            }

            //do the mailing
            $email = new \Cake\Mailer\Email();

            $email
                ->subject($subject)
                ->to([$user->email => sprintf('%s %s', $user->forename, $user->surname)])
                ->template('NotificationCenter.new_notification')
                ->viewVars([
                    'user' => $user,
                    'notification' => $notification,
                    'unreadNotifications' => $unreadNotifications
                ]);

            if ($email->send()) {

                //mark as sent
                $notificationsUser = $this->NotificationsUsers
                    ->find()
                    ->where([
                        'NotificationsUsers.user_id' => $user->id,
                        'NotificationsUsers.notification_id' => $notification->id
                    ])
                    ->first();

                if ($notificationsUser) {

                    $notificationsUser->sent = 1;
                    $notificationsUser->sent_at = new \DateTime();

                    $this->NotificationsUsers->save($notificationsUser);

                    $this->out('Successfully sent notification to ' . $user->email);

                    return true;
                }

            }

            return false;
        }