Unemployed since March, have new job, need stopgap funds

Hi, Dean here

Here is my situation. This year has been the most unpredictable to navigate for many years, and I haven't been this cash strapped since 1981, my first year at college, a nineteen years of age. To use standard English, I am skint.

My income is teaching. 2024 began with me in and out of hospital for fast track tests. Turned out I have arthritis but nothing more deadly, but my work suffered. Having helped several dozen students pass their GCSE exams, the college where I taught English saw fit to reduce my hours and cut my income right down in February, finally giving me the boot (they can do that with agency workers) 14th March. Try emailing or calling people during Easter - nobody picks up. Medics advised me to limit my daily public transport commute, so I have been applying for jobs within physical reach, in north Surrey, South London, as well as online work, which I can do.

I have been busy reducing overheads, applying for discounts, getting financial breathing space via Council Tax reduction, time to pay off debts, you name it. Trying to sell stuff, which is tough because in the UK almost everyone that isn't rich isn't doing that well. I'm lucky my landlord has been understanding, if he wasn't I'd very possibly be looking at homelessness by now. My first thought was to make sure Poppy the cat gets fed, so I bought 2 months of food for her at a decent discount.

Yesterday, after travelling up to London for an interview, my bank account hit the limit of my overdraft - BUT I have a new job with Anchor Tutors https://anchortutors.uk - I was briefly very happy indeed, but reality kicked in.

Anchor Tutors have been positive but it will take 4 more weeks or so before I have any income from this work. I estimate that I should start to get income in the coming month, around 21st June. Meanwhile I am looking for enough money to pay my bills, afford buses, get food and medicine. Part-time temp job? No response, too told. I decided to throw what so-called dignity I have left to the wind and ask friends, and anyone else so moved, to help me out.

I worked out that I need £500 which isn't that much until you go two months with no income at all, and no savings - then it is everything.

If anyone wants to give me work to do, please contact me. If you want to read my CV, here it is. https://deanwhitbread.com/blog/CV2024/

Thanks for being there. If you are able to help a 62 year old teacher survive financially for the coming 4 weeks, I will be hugely grateful. If the world helps me out now I need it, I will pay it back in kindness and relief.

Love and all that,

Dean.