Big Issue North changes people’s lives.
Big Issue North believes that everyone has the right to earn an independent income.
Hand on heart, they do not ask you for a permanent address, ID card, bank account, qualifications, or your previous experience – if you want to sell Big Issue North, you can! As a vendor, we buy magazines for £1.50 each from a regional Big Issue North office, then we sell them on our pitches for £3, keeping the £1.50 from every sale. However, the care I receive from Big Issue North is so much more than this. I am supported with housing, financial and health advice. They always have time for me, and you can tell they strive to develop my skills and want me to achieve my own personal goals every day.
But in all honesty, as a community – we still have a problem.
With the cost of living crisis rising, I have seen a worrying increase in how many people need further support to fight for their families, just like me. This is why I am reaching out to you today to ask you for your help.
Big Issue North’s work to support myself and 350 other vendors, is more urgent than ever before. Inflation is pushing prices higher, and I have seen first-hand the damaging financial effect this has had on my fellow vendors. Can you imagine the worry and struggle every day to make ends meet? Right now, people like me just want a chance to make a change for their children.