The acquisition of Thomas Cook’s high street stores by Hays Travel this week brought some hope for 2,500 former employees of the travel agency. But three weeks on from the company’s collapse, thousands of other former staff – Thomas Cook had a 9,000-strong UK workforce – remain unemployed. We spoke to a few of them about how they’ve been affected.Steve Cook, 43, revenue management analyst at Thomas Cook HQ in Peterborough

Cook was not expecting to lose his job. Days before the travel company went bust, he jetted off on holiday himself. “There was no warning at all before I left work. I asked my manager if he wanted my mobile number before I left just in case and he just smiled and said ‘no, we’ll be fine,’” said Cook, who didn’t travel with the agency because it did not offer flights to his destination in Italy.

Although he has busied himself scheduling job interviews via LinkedIn and applying for redundancy pay through the government’s insolvency service over the past three weeks, reality has been starting to set in. “I’ve felt a bit flat these past few days. I do like to keep busy and I think it has hit home this week,” he said. “It was the best job I’ve ever had. What made it brilliant was the people.”

Because the entire business was liquidated, there has been no help from the company itself. But the team spirit of Cook’s former colleagues seems to be unyielding. “A lot of us have rallied around and supported each other,” he said.

“We’re trying to help each other out where we can, like texting each other regularly. Some colleagues from the head office have been arranging coffee mornings. Local businesses have also been really helpful, providing free coffee, tea, wifi and desk space to work.”

Through a Thomas Cook “legacy” group set up on Facebook, joined by more than 3,000 users, Cook has found job adverts and taken up an offer of a complimentary new CV headshot from an ex-employee who left the firm years ago to become a professional photographer.

Still, while Cook is grateful for all the support, he is increasingly aware that kindness alone won’t pay the bills. “I would like a job sooner rather than later,” he said.

Victoria Cooper, 40, cabin crew member based in Manchester

“I don’t have a clue what I’m going to do now,” said Cooper, who had worked out of Thomas Cook’s key hub at Manchester airport for 19 years. Six years ago she became a mother and she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis shortly after. Being able to switch from full- to part-time allowed her to continue her career.

“It worked well for me,” said Cooper, lamenting the lack of flexible flight attendant jobs available. “To start flying again I’d have to go full-time and probably be willing to commute to London. I’m not in a position to do that.”

The Saturday before the travel agent collapsed she operated a flight from Newcastle to Lanzarote, returning the next evening. Although Thomas Cook’s funding problems had already hit the headlines, she had remained optimistic. “Even on the flight on the Sunday, I thought: don’t worry it will be fine, the government aren’t going to let this happen, we’ve been going for so many years.”

It wasn’t until she switched on the news in her hotel room the next morning that she realised her job was lost. Since then, Cooper has applied for universal credit and taken up cleaning jobs while she works out what to do next.

Finances are a big concern. She has yet to be paid around £2,000 in last month’s wages and expects the government redundancy payout to be meagre. “What I’m going to get is about a couple of months’ wages,” she said.

Small acts of kindness have helped. The train manager who took Cooper and her colleagues back to Manchester from Newcastle, for example, let them ride for free. But the situation has already affected Cooper’s health. Although her MS isn’t yet severe, the anxiety and stress has been particularly bad in the last few weeks.

Peter, 32, ground engineer, Manchester

In 2008 Peter began an aircraft mechanic apprenticeship at Manchester airport, Thomas Cook’s main airline base. He gained a degree in aircraft maintenance and management and he was working as an aircraft engineer when he was made redundant.

“I just loved my job. I got up the other morning and I’m going to the wardrobe to get my uniform out and then realising what I am doing,” said Peter, who asked for his surname to be withheld. “Situations like that are quite upsetting.”

Peter didn’t sleep on the eve of Thomas Cook’s demise and when the announcement arrived at 2am on Monday 23 September he headed to the airport hangar to collect his tools. “I’m glad I did because some of my colleagues are struggling to get theirs, and our livelihoods depend on them,” he said. “How do you apply for work in the meantime if you’ve not got any tools? You certainly can’t buy any more because you’ve not been paid.”

He said he was owed around £6,400 in monthly wages and overtime. The fact he is highly skilled should set him in good stead, but looking for a new job has thrown up a personal dilemma for Peter, who has been trying for a baby with his partner since 2012.

“For the past couple of years we’ve been going through IVF,” said Peter, who added that finding a role at the same level would probably involve relocating. “The decision I’ve got now is stay in Manchester where I might have to change career and continue with the IVF, or move away and carry on with my career and lose [the IVF].”