As furlough comes to an end, many people may have worries about what comes next.  Aberdeen Cyrenians supports people facing crisis whether it’s housing, financial, safety or mental health concerns.

Community services lead manager at Aberdeen Cyrenians Lynda Fowler-Reid said: “I think in terms of the furlough scheme when it ends there’s going to be a quite sudden increase. Some people might be made redundant, we’re aware there’s going to be organisations who may have to do this.

“We know for a lot of people it’ll be tough to ask for help, all of our staff are discreet and non-judgemental.

“We can meet people other places if they don’t want to come to the building, or we can arrange to speak to them over the phone, or by another means if they prefer.

“Our team is highly skilled and has the experience to be able to help.”

If you’re worried about the future but don’t know what to do next, here’s our top tips:

1.     Early intervention can help a lot.  You don’t need to already be in crisis to seek help.  If you’re worried about losing your job or your home, you can come to us and we will help you take action now to give you back control.

2.     Create a budget to work out how much your essentials cost.  Think about the worst case scenario so you know what changes you might need to make.

3.     Think hard about needs and wants.  It may be unpleasant to give up some things, but are they actually essential?

4.     Keep in touch with your employer to find out any plans for returning to work and how likely it is your job will still be there.

5.     Remember that returning to work may increase the costs you need to budget for.  Think  about things like fuel, lunches and childcare for example.

6.     It’s normal to feel anxious about change.  Take care of yourself and contact your GP or go online and use the NHS Your Mind Plan to get support.

7.     If you are unable to access services because you don’t have a digital device, contact us for support.

Anyone concerned can contact Aberdeen Cyrenians on www.weareac.org or call 0300 303 0903.