Your support is life-changing...
Thousands of Big Issue vendors, like Mihaela, are braving the challenging weather conditions to earn a vital income and improve their situations this Christmas and beyond.
If you have a local vendor please buy a copy of their magazine every week. If you can't reach a vendor, buy a Big Issue Vendor Support Kit online for £35.
Visit bigissue.com/christmas to buy a kit.
Every kit purchased helps a vendor to earn and lift themselves out of poverty. Here's how your £35 will support a vendor:
♨️ Hat to keep warm
☂️ Poncho to stay dry
☕ Hot drink and food voucher to keep fuelled
💳 Cashless equipment to increase earnings
💼 Specialist sales and employment training
Thank you.
As the winter arrives and energy prices rise 📈 thousands of people in extreme poverty turn to the Big Issue to generate essential income for themselves and their families - vendors buy the magazine for half the cover price and keep 100% of the profit.
Our vendors need the support, tools, and resources to earn and lift themselves out of poverty for good.
You can support a Big Issue vendor by buying their magazine in the street every week. If you can't reach a vendor you can buy a Big Issue Vendor Support Kit online - visit bigissue.com/christmas to purchase.
Thank you ❤️
Susan was homeless and started selling the Big Issue to work her way out of poverty 💪
She said: “I was in dire poverty, I was on the street with not a penny to my name. And when I was told about the big issue, I jumped straight in. I thought, well, this is my opportunity to get my life back on track and work for myself. Have a bit of independence and dignity and get by from day to day from what I’m earning. I've never looked back.”
3.8 million people are living in extreme poverty this Christmas, struggling to eat, clothe and keep themselves warm. Thousands turn to the Big Issue for a vital source of income.
You can support Big Issue vendors by buying their magazine every week this Christmas season. If you can't reach a vendor you can buy Vendor Support Kit online - visit bigissue.com/christmas
Each kit keeps vendors warm, dry, fed, and progressing ❤️
🚨Millions of people in this country are living in poverty, destitution & using food banks. It’s barely getting a mention.
Today I’m joining forces with Big Issue in calling for a POVERTY ZERO LAW - a statutory duty for every gov’t to set POVERTY REDUCTION TARGETS
Let’s do it
Let’s break the cycle of poverty together!
Financial and digital inclusion 📱 is key to unlocking progress for Big Issue vendors and many others affected by poverty.
Did you know? 🤔 Research has estimated that newly digitally included people could save £444 per year, by accessing digital services and products.
In this latest article, Gwyn, Big Issue’s Service Development Manager, highlights the challenges and the support Big Issue is providing.
Visit BigIssue.com to read in full.
#DigitalInclusion #FinancialInclusion #EndPoverty #BigIssue #SocialImpact
Money guidance 💳 training from the Money and Pensions Service (MAPs) for our support team is underway….
This initiative aims to upskill our support team with crucial money guidance skills to help our vendors achieve financial independence.
Daisy Hampson, Big Issue Support Team, Team Leader said:
“The MAPs Money Guiders course helped me learn valuable money management skills to better support Big Issue vendors. It has allowed me to confidently guide vendors on budgeting, accessing debt support and welfare benefits, and saving for the future. This guidance is a crucial part of giving vendors the confidence and skills they need to manage their own money, which in turn reduces financial stress and helps vendors achieve long-term financial stability.”
We're proud to champion this initiative, as part of our financial & digital inclusion impact pillar, and enhance the support we provide to our community.🤝
Visit bigissue.com/impact learn more about our work ↗️
Meet Matthew Campbell, a Big Issue vendor from South London who's determined to find a stable form of employment ❇️
Matthew said: “I’ve not had much stable work, so the Big Issue has been ideal. I’ve spoken to Big Issue Recruit. They’ve told me they might be able to help me. I would like to get into stable work. I don’t want to keep jumping from job to job, I would like to do something that leads to long-term employment."
When not selling the magazine, Matthew enjoys playing tennis with friends, gardening in the square where he lives, and watching local bands.
Visit BigIssue.com to read more about Matthew’s journey.
Did you know? 🤔 On average, vendors sell five additional copies of the Big Issue every week after going cashless. This amounts to an additional £520 a year in additional income.
Our work is delivered across five impact pillars, and right now we’re shining a spotlight on Financial and Digital Inclusion📲
We actively address the financial and digital inclusion needs of people living in poverty through our direct support initiatives...
In 2023 we delivered the following impact:
💳 234 new vendors supported to accept cashless payments
💰 460 individuals supported with services including; budgeting, accessing banking services, and accessing the benefits they're entitled to
💻 230 hours of digital skills training delivered to 196 individuals
Visit BigIssue.com to support our financial and digital inclusion work.
💬 "I became homeless last spring. Fortunately, I saw the end of it and became housed and started selling the Big Issue through a referral. It turned out to be a very good thing for me."
Josh currently sells the Big Issue in Exeter 📍.
Despite facing homelessness in his youth, Josh managed to attend both college and university. Unfortunately, he struggled to find stable employment, which led to debt and, eventually, homelessness last year.
Now, Josh hopes to become self-employed as a sole trader or return to university to research biotechnology supply chains.
You can read Josh's full story on BigIssue.com 🙌
Big Issue works with a number of vendors from the Roma community.
Many have been with us for a long time and have found working with us a way to earn, feel valued and build positive futures 💫
They have suffered racist abuse in the past. So, as the rioting and dark mood settled nationally, our frontline staff worked to reassure and to be clear that Big Issue is here for them 🤝
These are some of their testimonies 👉
🔍 Behind the Scenes: Sales training for Big Issue regional support staff
We run this training so our staff can coach and support Big Issue vendors in developing the skills needed to maximize their magazine sales and develop transitional and transferable skills to progress. 📈
Dean Fencott, Big Issue Group Learning Manager, said: "Vendors are often marginalized, vulnerable adults who may have experienced traumatic life conditions. Many distrust authority and are averse to formal approaches to support.
Our person-centered sales support is delivered by consent and can only be conducted by someone who has built a connection with the individual, at the right time."
Visit bigissue.com/services/ to learn more about our support services 🙌
Steven Paterson sells the Big Issue 🗞️ in #Edinburgh and says "interacting with people is what I enjoy most about selling the magazine."
Selling the magazine has given Steven stability and supported him with his mental health and depression...
"I was really struggling in life with my mental health and my depression. Lately, that’s gone away. I’m thinking a lot clearer and I’m more motivated. Doing the magazine makes me get out and about and speak to people."
Visit: /vendors/steven-paterson-playfair-steps-the-mound-edinburgh/ to read Steven's full story and support him with a subscription.
