Please read this first
What Fledge is, what it isn't, and who to ask when it isn't enough.
Who wrote this
Fledge was written by a parent who wanted their child to leave home well prepared. It's everything I wish someone had said out loud — the practical, the obvious and the mildly embarrassing. It was written with love. It was not written by an expert.
This is advice, not professional help
I am not a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, an accountant, a benefits adviser or a counsellor. Nothing in Fledge is medical, legal or financial advice. It is ordinary advice and everyday experience, offered in good faith. It may be incomplete, it may be out of date, and occasionally it may simply be wrong.
If you're unwell or hurt
Don't rely on a guide. Ring your GP or a pharmacist, call NHS 111 for urgent help that can wait a little, or 999 if it's an emergency. Never delay real medical help because something in Fledge seemed sensible.
If it involves your money, your tenancy or the law
Prices, benefits, tax rules and tenants' rights all change. Check an official source before you act — GOV.UK, your local council, Citizens Advice, or a free debt charity such as StepChange. Good, free advice exists. Use it.
If you feel unsafe
Fledge can help you think clearly, but it can't see what's in front of you. Trust your own judgement over anything written here. If you are in danger, call 999.
When in doubt, ask a real person
Your GP, your university, your landlord, your council, Citizens Advice, or your family. Asking is not weakness — it is the single most useful habit in this entire guide.
The small print
Fledge is provided as it is, free of charge, with no guarantees. To the extent the law allows, nobody who made it accepts responsibility for anything that happens because you followed something in it. You're the adult now — the final decision is yours, and I'd much rather you made it with someone who is paid to know.
And yes, you can always come home.
Made by a loving parent for their fledgling.