Annual Report2019

About UsTo complement the self-help ethos of The Big Issue magazine, The Big Issue Foundation was established in 1995 as an independently registered charity.

Our vision is to create opportunities that will end poverty and exclusion for Big Issue vendors and our mission is to connect Big Issue vendors to the vital support and specialist services that enable them to rebuild their lives and determine their own pathways to a better future.

We currently support over 1,240 Big Issue vendors every year across London, the South Coast, Oxfordshire, the Midlands and the South West.

The Big Issue magazine was founded in 1991 to create opportunities for homeless people to work their way out of poverty. Four years later, The Big Issue Foundation followed as an independent charity committed to supporting vendors on this self-help journey of change.

We are living in tough times where the inequality gap is widening, the demand on limited resources is growing and alarming numbers of people are finding themselves homeless. It is in such times therefore – more so than ever – we should reflect on the life changing and lifesaving impact our teams made to Big Issue vendors during 2018-19.

Vendors are ‘customers’; choosing to spend their own money on buying Big Issue magazines at profit or loss. Our frontline team provide exceptional ‘customer service’ by ensuring 1,200 vendors every year receive bespoke, personalised help in response to their individual support needs. But what does this look like in reality?

Nationally we helped vendors obtain digital card readers to accept contactless payments in an increasingly ‘cashless society’ whilst from our regional offices, we arranged for vendors - like Daniella in Birmingham - to meet with a Young Parent’s Careers Advisor so that she could access income support for her young family.

Innovation was another fundamental part of our journey with examples over the last year including a successful sleepout event at Southampton Football Club, new support from Waitrose through an online giving campaign and promotion of ground-breaking

new ways to support our work from recycling your car to online shopping.

We further commissioned an internal ‘data dive’ and external services evaluation to impartially assess the impact of our work and validate our belief that our model does indeed make a tangible difference to Big Issue vendors. To quote J H Consultancy’s evaluation ’Service Brokerage clearly provides a vital and much valued service for many Big Issue vendors. Expanding the service would provide significant and needed help to additional people’.

This evidence of need is precisely what we are seeking to address both in the coming year and through our 2019-22 Strategic Plan as we aim to double our income from £1m to £2m and provide ‘expert information, advice and guidance and a universality of financial & social support to Big Issue vendors UK wide’.

A special thank you to every person, business and Trust that has helped us on this journey.

Please read on in the knowledge that our work changes and saves lives.

A message from our CEO Stephen Robertson

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Alan, West Midlands

“This job is my social life. Sometimes I spend more time talking than I do selling, but that’s the way it goes. I really enjoy it. I’d go mad if I was stuck in my flat all day.”

Aaron, London “I’m hoping to get off the streets soon. Last month I took part in Pay it Forward; a new scheme using QR technology to turn The Big Issue into the world’s first re-sellable magazine. It’s great because you get to earn extra money on top of your face to face sales. One of my magazines has already been QR scanned and passed around over 20 times.”

Stuart, Bath

“It’s going well. Last week I sold 55 which is very good. For me, selling the magazine is all about being polite and courteous.”

Bill, Bournemouth “It was so important to me to get help accessing healthcare when I first walked through the door. Liam assessed my immediate and longer-term health needs and was great in arranging for me to see a doctor when my medication had run out. He also ensured Chloe was registered with The Dogs Trust so she could stay healthy too!”

Jim, Nottingham

“I had money troubles, built up a bit of debt, so things hadn’t been looking so good. But selling The Big Issue has helped me out at a tough time, put me back on my feet again.”

Where We WorkThe Big Issue Foundation works directly from office bases in Bath, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, London, Nottingham and Oxford; regions with high densities of Big Issue vendors. From here, our frontline Service Brokerage teams reach out to the Big Issue vending community across the UK.

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Built on the unique trust developed between the Foundation and Big Issue vendors over the last decade, our frontline workers - Service Brokers - are trained to accurately identify the health, housing, employment and other support needs of Big Issue vendors and provide expert information, advice and guidance best able to address these needs.

What is Service Brokerage?

Service Brokerage is an enabler for creating personal change. Our Service Brokers access local services, maintain support networks and prevent Big Issue vendors falling through the gaps in society.

Our ambition is to maximise the success of the vendor’s selling career for as long as they choose to be with us and help them move on at the appropriate time. We support vendors to increase their income through magazine sales and achieve a position of financial stability where they can begin to address issues including homelessness, poor health and addiction which have arisen as a result of their experiences of poverty and social exclusion.

Our approach is ‘vendor centric’. We work under the direction of Big Issue vendors; providing jargon free information that enables vendors to navigate the complex maze of services.

What We Do

Financial Inclusion Increase income

Sales Skills - Complete induction and obtain official Big Issue vendor badge and tabard.

Sales Progression - Assigned a pitch and build up a customer base.

Sales Maximisation - Increase numbers of magazines purchased and sold.

Social Inclusion Increase equality and create opportunity

Housing - Housing advice, rehoused in safe and secure accommodation, ongoing tenancy support.

Education & Training - Attend opportunities workshops, enrol on education and training courses.

Health & Wellbeing - Register with a GP, access specialist health services, e.g. mental health, addiction treatment.

Financial Capability - Open a bank account, budgeting support, access to a specialist financial service, e.g. debt advice.

Employment - Employability workshops, job search, CV writing, interview skills.

Service Brokerage is our core work.

The Vendor Journey

We aim to help vendors continue their journeys away from social and financial exclusion by connecting them with the relevant support

We believe financial stability generated through magazine sales is the cornerstone for Big Issue vendors to first overcome poverty and social

Review & New Action Plan All our vendors work towards clear goals that we call outcomes. Outcomes achieved by vendors are formalised and tracked through their individual Action Plans and/or Outcome Star Assessments. Action Plans and Assessments are regularly reviewed - typically every 3 months - to discuss any barriers to progression and set new goals accordingly.

Review Action PlanAction Plans provide a structure for vendors to become financially independent selling The Big Issue

Initial Assessment & Vendor Action PlanThe Service Brokerage Assessment identifies the support needs of a vendor and promotes the range of services we can help them to access.

InductionThe induction is the first point of contact with a new Big Issue vendor. It aims to capture basic information about the

vendor, explain how we work and convey some simple sales advice. The induction concludes with the signing of the Vendor Agreement.

Some support needs can be addressed immediately such as access to emergency accommodation whilst longer term goals - including obtaining ID and opening a bank account - are collated into an Action Plan and manageably worked through on a step by step basis.

magazine in the short term whilst in the long-term encouraging vendors to think about realistic career and life goals when they feel ready to move on.

Outcome Star Assessment An Outcome Star Assessment reviews a vendor’s progress against outcome areas including Sales Skills, Financial Capability, Housing, Health and Employment & Training. It recognises that a vendor’s journey is not necessarily linear and is personal to them. The star expands as the vendor makes progress.

exclusion and thereafter pursue employment, training and other opportunities when they feel ready to move on from The Big Issue.

and specialist services needed to rebuild their lives. Our Service Brokers do this through a structured process of:

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Dismantling Poverty, Creating Opportunity

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Other Ways We Support Vendors

Vendor Tabard Scheme

The distinctive red tabard helps to identify vendors as official sellers of The Big Issue magazine. It functions as a uniform which every new vendor saves for and is granted in return for a £15 deposit.

Vendor Savings Scheme

Our Vendor Savings Scheme aims to foster a saving culture amongst Big Issue vendors. It is not designed to replace bank/credit union accounts but instead encourages vendors to budget and change their mindset to move away from hand to mouth living.

Vendor Support Fund

The Vendor Support Fund (VSF) is an enabler for Big Issue vendors to achieve employment, training and other personal aspirations which require financial support. This fund is open all year-round which vendors throughout the UK can apply for. Vendors are helped to identify goals and aspirations and assisted to complete an application form. They then save and contribute a discretionary amount – typically 20-50% - towards their chosen cost with the VSF Fund covering the remainder.

Theme Projects

Each year we run a number of theme projects focussing on common needs identified by our vendors. These include:

Sales & Money – The sales and money project helps vendors to make informed financial decisions whilst encouraging them to think about new ways of increasing their magazine sales. Areas of exploration include sales training, budgeting and money management, banking (improving knowledge of and confidence in using financial services), saving (towards both short and long-term goals) and debt (setting up repayment schedules and managing pre-existing arrears).

Health & Wellbeing – This project seeks to encourage positive health amongst Big Issue vendors. It focuses on identifying physical and mental health needs and promoting access to specialist services including sexual health clinics and substance misuse treatment centres. 265 Big Issue vendors participated in the project over the last year. Key interventions included Nottingham University NHS Trust providing health assessments for our East Midlands based vendors and the distribution of bespoke health packs from our Oxford, London and Bournemouth offices.

Eftenoiu’s StoryBirmingham based Eftenoui is a vendor at New Street Station. A contribution from The Vendor Support Fund helped him to progress into work with the station’s facilities team:

“I got to know the team at New Street from selling the magazine in the station. I was introduced to facilities and they told me about a cleaning job.

To accept the job however, I needed to renew my passport at the Romanian Embassy in London. I really wanted the job but I didn’t know how I would be able to afford the journey to London and the new passport.

I discussed with my Service Broker Susannah and she suggested applying for a contribution from The Vendor Support Fund. We completed the application together and a contribution was agreed.

I now have my new passport and was delighted to start the job. It is an evening job so I can continue to sell The Big Issue in the station for a few hours during the day!”

Alongside our core Service Brokerage work, we encourage vendors to enhance their financial capability and realise their ambitions through the:

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Our ImpactBig Issue vendors work towards clear goals that we call outcomes. All outcomes achieved by vendors are formalised and tracked through an individual action plan and outcome star assessment.

In 2018-19, the 11,988 positive interventions facilitated by our Service Brokerage teams enabled 304 Big Issue vendors to achieve 597 outcomes. Sometimes a vendor will achieve multiple outcomes over the course of a year; resulting in a higher number of outcomes to vendors. These encompassed:

Achieved Personal Sales Goals

Bristol based vendor Jack achieved his aim of selling over 200 mags in the seven days he was featured in The Big Issue’s popular ‘My Pitch’ feature. This quantity of sales enabled him to take a well-earned week off.

Rehoused in Suitable Accommodation

Kimberley was accompanied to sign a housing contract with Liberty Estate agents in Finsbury Park. Within two months, she progressed from living on the street in London to making a sustainable living selling The Big Issue and being permanently housed.

Accessed Health and Wellbeing Services

In Oxford, our Service Broker Elizabeth supported Dave to make and attend an appointment at the Rheumatology Department of local hospital. He has been prescribed a course of steroid injections and is positively experiencing less pain in his hands and feet.

Accessed Addiction Treatment

In Bath, Anthony was referred to The Beehive Centre where he is engaging with addiction treatment. He is now receiving specialist support from a drugs worker and beginning detox.

Improved Finances & Money Management

With the help of her Service Broker in Birmingham, Daniella attended an appointment with the Young Parent’s Careers Advisor. As a result, she is now able to claim additional income in support of her young family.

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56 outcomes

124 outcomes

26 outcomes

130 outcomes

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Pursued Employment & Volunteering Opportunities

Having gained several qualifications through Southampton FC’s Saints Foundation employability programme, Julie successfully secured a stewarding job at near neighbours Bournemouth FC for the start of the 2018-19 season. She is now match day stewarding for both Southampton and Bournemouth at weekends whilst supplementing her income by continuing to sell The Big issue during the week.

Engaged with Education and Training

Adrian attended a taster session at Miss Macaroon’s – a Birmingham based Social Enterprise offering kitchen-based training courses to young people currently not in education, training or employment. He really enjoyed the session and is hoping to enrol whilst continuing to sell The Big Issue.

Successfully Obtained ID

Pablo had lost his Citizen Card and was very worried that with Brexit looming he would be asked to leave the country having no official ID. We applied for a replacement online and it arrived within three weeks. He is considerably more relaxed having it.

Improved Relationships & Achieved Personal Aspirations

Jim was delighted to be part of a Streetwise Opera production that recently performed at Nottingham Trent University. He has become an integral member of the Street Wise Team which has hugely benefitted his physical and mental health. Jim was especially happy to see the friendly, familiar face of Service Broker Becky at the performance!

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19 outcomes

57 outcomes

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“I have a lot of great customers having been doing this for over a year. I used to have a job and I am hoping to get one again but for now this is good. I earn enough, and I have support.

I really appreciate getting my First Aid at Work certificate renewed. I also did the customer service training and stewarding courses which led to a job at Southampton FC. I work there with my friend, on the payroll, now at every home match”.

“What me and other Romas get from being a BI vendor is: Money for work (the harder I work the more I get), Training – I now have qualifications in English and Maths – and links to employers – I recently gained retail and customer experience doing a placement with Marks and Spencer.

Improved confidence and a chance to learn English – lots of Roma people value the English classes. Getting out of the house to meet people and access to doctors and dentists”.

“I have been a rough sleeper for 19 years and been an addict throughout that time. I am now getting myself together on methadone and waiting for a place in rehab. I don’t need Service Brokerage support because I am with Addaction. They give me what I need.

Selling the Big Issue gives me a challenge, it keeps me busy and keeps me away from my old lifestyle. It gives me a bit of money and social interaction all day. I am hopeful that after my rehab I will make changes that will stay with me. For now selling the BI works for me”.

Evidencing Our ImpactApplied Predictive Technology (APT) Report & J H Consultancy Evaluation

2018-19 saw The Big Issue Foundation take important strides in improving our service offering for Big Issue vendors. We started the year by working with Applied Predictive Technology (APT) to undertake a ‘data dive’ of our database to gain a deeper understanding of the range, complexity and changing support needs of Big Issue vendors over the last decade followed by commissioning J H Consultancy to conduct an independent evaluation of our Service Brokerage model that harnessed the feedback of Senior Managers, Frontline Staff, Volunteers and Big Issue vendors.

Both APT’s Report and J H Consultancy’s Evaluation enabled us to identify the key drivers for ‘dismantling poverty and creating opportunities’ for Big Issue vendors. It was pivotal in helping us shape our new three-year strategy with an overarching objective to provide ‘expert information, advice and guidance and a universality of financial and social support’ to Big Issue vendors UK wide. At the heart of the plan is a commitment to the following five strategic goals:

Vendors who take up a service offer are very positive about the support available and clear that it is a highly valued and tailored service.

Opportunity to review service provision for increasing numbers of Roma vendors (36% of all vendors). This demographic are not homeless but are living in poverty and present multiple and complex health, housing and other support needs.

The Big Issue Foundation’s work complements rather than duplicates other services.

The purpose of both reports was to identify notable areas of strength, weakness and impact whilst making key action-

Key findings included:

Next Steps

based recommendations for future service development around the eight core areas in which we support Big Issues vendors to move forward: i) Sales Goals ii) Housing iii) Money Management iv) Health v) Additions vi) Education, Training & Employment vii) Possession of Formal Identification Documents viii) Future Aspirations.

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Vendor Engagement Our work will remain led by the needs, wishes and ambitions of Big Issue vendors. We believe that personal choice is fundamental to inclusive participation in democratic in society and that self-help creates personal journeys away from poverty and exclusion.

Continuous Improvement Our new services database will enable our frontline teams to more effectively understand the support needs of Big Issue vendors and chart their personal journeys of change towards financial stability and social inclusion.

Additionally, we will be implementing the key action-based recommendations for future service development identified by J H Consultancy and APT’s Reports.

Scalability Expanding the reach of Service Brokerage in response to the local needs of Big Issue vendors in current and new regions.

To this end, we will shortly be expanding the reach of Service Brokerage to the new regions of Devon & Cornwall and East Anglia.

Partnership Working Big Issue vendors face a host of complex housing, health and financial issues. We will continue to work collaboratively with a wide range of 300+ health, housing and other specialist organisations to ensure vendors always receive the service most appropriate to their individual support needs.

Best Practice We will ensure that our charitable work is supported by exemplary levels of governance and in compliance with all relevant regulatory and statutory bodies (GDPR, Fundraising Regulator).

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Financial Summary2018-19

Income

Expenditure

In 2018-19, for every £1 spent on Fundraising The Big Issue Foundation raised £3.21The information on pages 17 and 18 are an extract of financial information taken from our 2019 Annual Accounts independently audited by Kingston Smith LLP.

£546,587 (43%)

£598,804 (50%)

£185,058 (14%)

£195,240 (16%)

£136,179 (11%)

£73,958 (6%)

£73,452 (6%)

£18,000 (1%)

£249,489 (19%)

£399,839 (34%)Individual

Giving

Frontline Service Brokerage Costs

Events & Community

Communicating, Influencing

& Awareness

Gifts in Kind & Other

Trusts & Foundations

Fundraising

Corporate

Legacies

Statutory

Total Income = £1,282,723

Total Expenditure = £1,193,883

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Paul SnapeNottinghamPaul was the first Big Issue vendor in the East Midlands to purchase an electronic card reader. With his magazine sales skyrocketing, it’s already proven a very sound investment.

“I’m originally from Wigan and was working as a builder for Willmott Dixon when they took on a project up in Newcastle in 1997. I wasn’t able to move up there and I lost my job and it all spiralled from there. I was rough sleeping and in the YMCA when a Big Issue staff member came in. I went down with him to the office and that led to me selling. I’ve been selling the magazine off and on since 1998 in Ipswich, Canterbury and Wales – I’ve moved about a bit because I fancied a bit of a change now and again – but I’m currently on the best pitch in Nottingham. There is a ton of footfall because a lot of people go to the shops and I have a lot of regular customers.

I’ve had my own flat in Nottingham for the last 11 years and really enjoy getting home, shutting the door and having my own space. The Big Issue Foundation has been a constant over the years; helping me in lots of different ways such as sustaining my flat and accessing medical treatment when my health took a knock.

Earlier this month, I managed to pick up a few more customers after my Big Issue Foundation Service Broker Becky encouraged me to invest in a card reader. I picked up 16 to 17 extra customers alone in the first week

I started using it. I ordered it online for £33 and it has been money well spent - I’m selling more than I ever have. I’m proud to be the first vendor in the East Midlands to purchase my own card reader. There has been quite a lot interest locally which has seen me interviewed by Nottingham Evening Post and the radio station Gem FM as well as appearing on Central ITV News and East Midlands Today. One of the other vendors who has seen me with it now wants to get his own so I think it’ll catch on.

Despite all this, my dog Lottie still sells more magazines than I do! She’s a three-and-a-half-year-old Staffordshire English bull terrier that I’ve had her for two years now after saving her from a couple of alcoholics. She was just skin and bones when I got her but The Big Issue Foundation were great in getting a referral to Vets in the Community where she received brilliant treatment. She is now fighting fit and the perfect companion on my pitch; the customers love making a fuss of her!

For the future, I’m just looking to keep on selling and see how it goes. Everything is going alright at the moment and I’m confident that’ll continue with the ongoing support of The Big Issue Foundation.”

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A Week In The LifeGabi, Birmingham Team Leader

“It’s our busiest day of the week. Cold weather is approaching and we’re seeing an influx of new vendors who need to sell

The day starts with a short meeting with my distribution colleagues. It’s important that we all work as a team and stay up to date with the

I begin the day by organising a sewing lesson for a group of vendors who expressed an interest in learning this skill. Learning to sew

Today I met with the Senior Education & Training Manager from Umbrella – a University Hospitals Birmingham

Today I catch up with vital admin, ensuring all our partner agency contacts are in the system.

Next, I put information

previous week’s developments.

I ended up with only a few minutes to finish preparing the imminent English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) lesson, as vendors are already coming into the office.

can help vendors save money and reduce isolation. I contact Springfield Project, who

NHS Ftoundation Trust service that provides free sexual health services across Birmingham and Solihull. We will work together to raise awareness of The Big Issue and The Big Issue Foundation among Umbrella’s partners. Our first step will be to present at the next partners event in order to put the support we offer on the radar of as many organisations as possible.

about eye health up on our notice board, ahead of National Eye Week. I pin up some eye test vouchers, recipes that support good eye health, and a small test that you can do

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The Big Issue to make it through this winter. Initial assessments and inductions bring up a host of immediate challenges that we can support vendors to resolve.

Today I emailed an embassy to help a vendor who made a mistake filling out a passport application – the issue was resolved. I then supported a young vendor who had just turned 18 and was pregnant with her second child to make an appointment with a Young Parent Advisor so she can access childcare.

I also accompanied a vendor to attend an appointment at the Citizens Advice Bureau to help him with a fine that he couldn’t pay because of his low income.

My students are doing their best to learn English and have many questions. This lesson focused on giving personal information, including introductions and etiquette.

After the class, a vendor comes in and asks us to help him with a doctor’s appointment because he can’t hear well and speaks limited English. We rang the GP, arranged an appointment with an interpreter and ensured the vendor knew when the appointment was so he can attend.

will run the session, to discuss how we can engage vendors in this activity.

Later on, I worked on a bilingual presentation in Romanian and English to raise vendors’ awareness of modern slavery. This is a project we are delivering in collaboration with Transforming Communities.

Next, I phoned a long-term vendor who was offered a job at Birmingham New Street station following a stint on the Network Rail corporate pitch there. We agreed a time when he is free to be interviewed for The Big Issue and for the Railway Station Newsletter. I also check to find out how he’s coping with having to give up selling the magazine while he waits for his first payment from the new job. We discuss the location of the local soup kitchen and how to access a food voucher should the need arise.

by yourself to check if you have any reasons to be concerned about your eyes.

Later, a vendor comes in for a referral to the Ready for Work Programme. Selling the magazine has been her first job and she’s keen to progress up the ladder. I take her through the process and make the referral. This could be a great opportunity for her to gain financial independence.”

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I don’t remember the overdose, it’s a total blank. I remember being in hospital – I was there for about a month. When I came back to Oxford I was staying with a friend, but he was doing too many drugs and I knew I couldn’t stay there. That’s when Hannah and Liz at The Big Issue Foundation helped me get a place. Without them I wouldn’t have coped. They took me down to the council and helped me sort myself out.

I started doing drugs about 30 years ago, but I was clean for 15 years. However, after my mum died and my cousin took his own life, I went back on the drugs. I couldn’t cope and drugs and alcohol were my escape. I lost my self-respect and had no respect for other people either. I’m a qualified block paver and slab worker and I used to be very good at it but that all went to pot when I went back on drugs.

Now I love selling The Big Issue. It gives me confidence and I’m part of society again. Being in Oxford I sell to people of all nationalities. Most of the people I meet on

Tom CashOxford“Six months ago I overdosed on Brighton beach and I was found half-dead. I was really bad on heroin, crack and the drink. After that I came back to Oxford and I’m clean now. I’d hit rock bottom, but I’ve been given another chance in life.

the street are polite. Sometimes they ignore you but I don’t let it get me down.

I live in my own flat. I see old friends that still use drugs, but I keep telling them that if I can do then they can too. They always give me a pat on the back so I’m a bit of a role model. Before I wasn’t looking after myself properly and was just too consumed in drugs and drink.  There’s a big difference in me now. And that’s down to The Big Issue.

I’m originally from Derry but I was raised in East London. I’m a traveller by blood. I’m proud of my identity and being part of that community. I just take one day at a time and whatever crosses my path I try to deal with it in a civil manner. I see myself as a recovering addict now so for me it feels nice to be nice.”

“Tom was new to Oxford when he first turned up to our office. When we first met he was extremely disorientated and vulnerable; having no money or ID.

Straight away we took Tom to the council offices to present himself as homeless and in priority need of assistance. With our advocacy support, he was eventually deemed eligible and placed in temporary accommodation while the council worked to find him Supported Housing.

Having established his legal name through his medical records, we have helped Tom to obtain a Birth Certificate, using the Vendor Support Fund. In addition, we have supported him to provide the requisite documentation necessary to open a bank account. He very quickly settled into a regular selling routine and seems to have an innate ability for achieving high sales. He consistently sells 50+ magazines a week.

In terms of his health, Tom is now accessing services at the Luther Street Medical Centre and is no longer using drugs or abusing alcohol.

We also recently assisted Tom to make an application to a local charity for a basic mobile phone which he uses every day to communicate with the various local services he is working with.

Tom is financially stable and has moved rapidly away from homelessness to a more stable and settled way of living.”

Hannah Smith, Oxford Service Broker

Now I love selling The Big Issue. It gives me confidence and I’m part of society again.

“ “

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Many Big Issue vendors rely solely on cash payments to earn their livelihood and so in response we are taking steps to ensure all our vendors can trade effectively in this new marketplace:

Pay it Forward

In February, 20 of our vendors took part in a new Pay it Forward scheme. The scheme established The Big Issue as the world’s first re-sellable magazine by providing participating vendors with the opportunity to earn extra income via onward sales of their magazines.

The premise is simple. Vendors sell the magazine to their customers who, once they’ve finished reading, are then able to ‘sell’ their copy onto a friend via a QR code on the front cover. These codes are unique to each vendor and when scanned, show a verified ‘Big Issue’ badge next to the vendor’s avatar. Each magazine can be sold on multiple times, and all income generated is divided between the original vendor and The Big Issue. Hugh Palmer, who sells The Big Issue at St Paul’s underground, said: 

“You fit back into society; before when it was cash only you would get days when people just didn’t buy the magazine from you.”

Emma’ Story We believe financial stability generated through magazine sales is the cornerstone for Big Issue vendors to first overcome symptoms of poverty and thereafter pursue further employment, training and other opportunities when they feel ready to move on.

This is exactly the path taken by Big Issue vendor Emma. She took part in the first Pay It Forward trial at the beginning of the year and has since fully embraced contactless by now making most of her magazine sales by card:

“It’s very easy to use. So many people never carry cash so I had to get the card reader, for me it is a big plus because we had to make a move to keep up.

It is very helpful for me to make sales in the morning quickly because I can have the card reader ready for people as they are walking through London Victoria station”.

Emma’s overriding ambition was to train as a security guard and thanks to her increased contactless sales and the support of beam – a London based Social Enterprise supporting vulnerable people to achieve long-held employment and training ambitions – she has now successfully funded the cost of her Door Supervisor CCTV and First Aid Training along with her Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence:

“I’m really excited to get into a job where I can interact with people every day. People look to security guards for assistance and so I’m happy that I will be someone who can offer that helping hand.

Shining the Spotlight on Financial Inclusion

Money Themed Project

The specific focus of this project was to support vendors to make informed financial decisions and increase their magazine sales in response to the rise of cashless society. Topics covered included:

Budgeting – day to day budgeting and money management.

Banking - improving knowledge of and confidence in using financial services.

Saving - towards both short and long-term goals.

Debt - setting up repayment schedules and managing pre-existing arrears.

Contactless Payments - increasing vendors’ use of card readers and digital payment devices.

Across our 7 regional offices, 142 vendors took part in the project. Many had the chance to trial taking payments contactless with a digital card reader. Simon was initially hesitant about using to a card reader but was convinced to give it a go by some fellow vendors. After many requests from his customers and the help of the Vendor Support Fund, he was able to save towards a smartphone and a card reader. Over 25% of his sales each day are now paid by card.

Big Issue Vendors & Cashless Society One in 10 UK adults are forsaking cash with contactless payments accounting for 7.4 bn transaction in 2018 – a 31% increase from the previous year (UK Finance – June 2019).

When I came to the UK 11 years ago I wanted to have a fresh start. Things started to get difficult when my job wasn’t paying enough for me to keep up with rent and I ended up sleeping rough. I was on the streets for a long time and it was during this time that I started selling The Big Issue to change my situation. Work is very important to me and after working as a Big Issue vendor for the last few years, I’m ready to build on some of the skills I learnt and start a new chapter in my life!

Doing the security training will mean that I can move out of the night shelter that I’m living in and move into my own place. It would mean so much for me to have this independence and somewhere finally to call home”.

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When holding down regular employment proved impossible, vending served to keep food on the table and shoes on my children’s feet. It provided a thread of stability that kept me sane when my marriage broke down and I was unable to see my children. It also provided flexibility and financial resilience as I came to terms with single parenthood. And now, through a Corporate Placement scheme, vending has paved the way for me to re-enter mainstream employment in the city office of law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

As if preserving my sanity, supporting my children’s welfare and helping me back into regular work isn’t enough, what else has The Big Issue done for me? I’ll tell you: it has helped maintain my self-esteem – staving off both monetary and emotional destitution; it has deepened my faith in the goodness of people – the kindness and generosity shown by my customers, regular and occasional, has been consistent.

On a practical level, The Big Issue Foundation has supported my efforts at publishing and even enabling me to take a short course in journalism and contributing to the purchase of a mini recording device. It has fostered my creative side: a postcard I designed for

André RostantLondon“My name is André. I have sold The Big Issue in Covent Garden and Soho for six years, since a domestic crisis suddenly caused me to lose a good, well-paid job, then a home.

a Big Issue competition, reflecting London’s diversity, is now on sale at the shop We Built This City in Carnaby Street. The Foundation has afforded me the opportunity to contribute to events, speak in public and share the stark realities of homelessness with the wider public.

But my plan to conquer the universe doesn’t stop here. I often sold The Big Issue on Drury Lane and realised that there is a Muffin Man-shaped space which I would fit perfectly. I had the go-ahead from Camden and was on the verge of launching my stall when our domestic crisis struck. So now I have to start again from scratch but this time I will be supported by King’s Cross Business Hub, to whom I was introduced by, you guessed it, The Big Issue Foundation. 

So, all being well, this time next year, if anybody asks you, “Do you know the Muffin Man?”, you can answer, “Certainly! He used to sell The Big Issue.”

Christy Isaac, London Team Leader

“Andre has always been a pleasure to work with, it’s impossible to speak to him and not smile. He’s a born entrepreneur and one of the hardest workers I’ve met. He’s always been consistent on his pitch and his quick wit has won him many loyal customers. He was driven and had a wealth of experience, so he just needed an opportunity to shine.

We run a Big Pitch Scheme with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and it gave him the chance to build his confidence within a corporate environment. His efforts did not go unnoticed and he was soon offered a position within the organisation, but I still look forward to the day I buy a muffin on Drury Lane!”

The Big Issue has helped maintain my self-esteem “ “

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“My name is Julie and I started selling The Big Issue in Bournemouth about 15 months ago. But that is not where my story begins. Like so many others, I saw the bright lights of London and started working as an office junior at a law firm. I was on a career path and continued to work my way up over the next couple of years.

Everything was going well until my parents passed away in quick succession. The long hours, dealing with the loss and other issues led to the breakdown of my relationship. The big city life had been fun but now I needed a change.

I’d been to Bournemouth a few times and decided it would be a good place for a fresh start. I quickly found work and settled in a flat. Everything was going well until I started to get ill.

Two years previous, I was diagnosed with Grave’s disease. Eventually I couldn’t make it through a day’s work and I lost my job. I ended up being hospitalised and when discharged, discovered I had been evicted from my flat.

Suddenly I was homeless and rough sleeping. It was a strange experience and in all honesty a bit of a blur as I was still very ill. It did open my eyes though. I hadn’t realised there was a homeless, rough sleeping community in Bournemouth.

I realised I had to do something and was contacting the council daily to get myself off

the streets. They did place me in a hostel and although I was grateful for a roof over my head, I’d lost my independence. It was at this time I started with The Big Issue.

It was challenging at first and so different to office work but I threw everything into it to earn money. Selling the magazine gave me an identity beyond being homeless. People talked to me and I no longer felt like an outcast. In fact, I made a whole new set of friends.

I decided that if I focused on selling the magazine I would be able to start getting my life back together and move on from the hostel. I gave myself two months. It took four, but I got out of the hostel and into my own place.

It came unfurnished but The Big Issue Foundation helped me source some furniture and blinds for the windows. I call the flat my sanctuary – a place where I can lock the door and be in my own space.

Now I had to think what to do next. I didn’t want to sell The Big Issue forever, so I enrolled on an employability programme with Southampton FC where I achieved my Level 1 Customer Service Certificate and Level 2 Certificate in Stewarding at Spectator Events.

Since then, I stewarded throughout the 2018-19 season and love it. The Big Issue Foundation has given me back my independence.”

Moving Forward Julie, BournemouthRead how Big Issue vendor Julie battled Grave’s disease and personal tragedy to find a way off the streets and into a new job at Southampton FC.

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Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer have enabled us to establish many of our flagship initiatives; from our award-winning Big Challenge experience – as an integrated part of Freshfields trainee lawyer induction programme - to our Big Pitch placements - enabling Big Issue vendors to develop skills vital to achieving their future aspirations.

Simmons & Simmons provide invaluable pro-bono support as well as financial investment. They too host a Big Pitch placement and have implemented the Big Challenge experience as a key aspect of their trainee lawyer induction programme.

Our partnership with Southampton Football Club, and their charitable arm Saints Foundation, led to four Big Issue vendors securing work at the club, the launch of our first partnership Big Stadium Sleep Out and winning Gold for Innovation at the prestigious Sports Business Awards.

We are hugely grateful for the ongoing support of our Corporate partners including:

Corporate Supporters Gowling WLG have integrated the Big

Challenge experience into their trainee lawyer induction programme. Furthermore, they have provided vital financial investment towards our frontline work in Birmingham.

We are delighted to have recently established a partnership with Reward Gateway, including staff participation in our Big Challenge experience as well as financial investment into our frontline work in London.

From hosting a vendor day experience through to the initiation of a Big Pitch placement, it has been great to see the partnership with Wellcome evolve over the past couple of years.

Network Rail have helped us establish Big Pitches for vendors on station concourses. This includes: London Euston, Waterloo, Liverpool Street, Victoria, Kings Cross as well as Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads and Edinburgh Waverley – and more to follow. These pitches enable vendors to build a solid customer base, increase their sales, feel part of a wider team at Network Rail and shelter from the elements.

Mondelez are one of our key corporate partners in Birmingham facilitating a successful Big Pitch placement, with numerous vendors securing employment following their time at Mondelez.

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We have some great initiatives for corporate and employee engagement including:

The Big Give

Direct financial investment, through a corporate gift or grant, makes a significant impact to our work. In partnership with companies, we identify joint objectives and, if relevant, we select a key theme of our work for their support. In addition, payroll giving enables employees to make a donation that is apportioned before tax – this is a simple and effective way to make a difference.

The Big Pitch

The Big Pitch offers Big Issue vendors with a supported sales opportunity within an organisation. Social barriers are broken down as Big Issue vendors are welcomed inside, viewed as a valued member of a wider team and have an opportunity to develop their skill base. Partners including Network Rail, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Simmons & Simmons, Wellcome Trust and Mondelez have hosted Big Issue vendors.

The Big Key Note

Stephen Robertson, CEO of The Big Issue Foundation, is a key note speaker. Stephen delivers informative and engaging talks - at conferences, meetings and events - highlighting the diverse aspects of our work and the growing challenges of homelessness, social and financial exclusion.

The Big Events

We run a portfolio of events throughout the year, including our flagship events the Big Sleep Out and Big Night Walk. Corporate sponsorship of our events provide powerful brand alignment; showcasing partnerships.

Our events also offer employees a platform for positive social action and engagement. This can include opportunities for volunteer activity or team fundraising - raising vital funds and awareness of our work.

Corporate Engagement

The Big Challenge

Participants don the iconic red jacket and become a Big Issue vendor for the day; selling the Big Issue magazine alongside our inspirational vendors. Set up as ‘The Apprentice’ style challenge the Big Challenge is a great

initiative for motivational team building, whilst honing customer engagement and creative sales techniques. It also challenges misconceptions and breaks down barriers to reach social and financial inclusion objectives.

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It’s been great coming into a place and knowing that I’m going to be looked after – it’s kind of saved my life to be honest – my days were full of nothing and doing the course gave me a purpose and something to get up for. I’m now working as a steward here and I love it”.

Other Initiatives

In November, The Big Issue Foundation and Saints Foundation partnered on a Big Stadium Sleep Out held at St Mary’s Stadium – in solidarity with those who are homeless. There were over 100 people who participated in the event raising over £20,000 for the worthwhile causes of The Big Issue Foundation and Saints Foundation.

Watch this Space

We are keen to replicate this model of success to other Premier League football clubs and sporting entities as a catalyst for social change!

The Big Issue Foundation engages with a wide spectrum of organisations - from football clubs to law firms to financial institutions - to develop value-led partnerships.

Corporate Partnerships

Case Study: The Big Issue Foundation and Saints Foundation Partnership

Our partnership with Southampton Football Club and their charitable arm, The Saints Foundation, is a flagship partnership that we are especially proud of.

Testament to its success was the partnership scooping a prestigious gold award in the ‘Sports Innovation’ category at the Sports Business Awards. The nomination was primarily focused around the opportunities the club offered Big Issue vendors. These included four Southampton FC first teamers joining Big Issue vendors on the streets of Winchester in the week prior to the start of

the 2018-19 season and a lucky 12 having the chance to sell a specially produced copy of the magazine at the club’s first home game of the season.

The Employability Programme

Following their first encounter with Southampton FC, four Big Issue vendors went onto complete a bespoke six-week employability programme at club and subsequently achieve Level One Customer Service accreditations. As well as learning and enhancing skills in delivering great customer service, the programme offered an opportunity to meet new people and feel part of the ‘Southampton Way’ culture the club endorses.

Key personnel from across the club came to speak with the participants, offering insight into their roles as well as detailing work opportunities to pursue. This provided invaluable understanding into the multi-faceted functionality and culture of the club. Furthermore, each vendor had the opportunity to gain new interview preparation skills including producing a CV and mock interviews. The course concluded with a celebratory event.

Following the programme, we were delighted that three Big Issue vendors went onto secure stewarding roles at St Mary’s Stadium, whilst another gained employment within the Halo conferencing and events teams based at the club. During their time on the programme, the vendors were supported and encouraged by the wonderful team at the Saints Foundation, who run the programme, alongside our dedicated frontline team based in Bournemouth.

Gary, one of the vendors who completed the programme and was unemployed for 18 months previous to selling The Big Issue, said:

“Southampton Football Club and Saints Foundation have given me the inspiration and emotional support to completely change my outlook on life. I’ve begun to believe in myself again, and I’ve been inspired to always do my best.

All of our partnerships are tailored to reach shared objectives and we are flexible and creative in our approach. We work with partners to understand what appeals most to their employees and stakeholders. From here, we work together to design a partnership strategy that best meets their objectives and supports our mission.

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For me, I wanted to join that exclusive marathon runners club representing just 1% of the world’s population and for The Big Issue Foundation it was the opportunity to raise as much money and awareness as possible. Call it a mid-life crisis – a Harley Davidson was always out of my price range!

From 2000 to 2015, I ran a small business in London and occasionally was able to donate to charity. The Big Issue was my favoured beneficiary after hearing Lord John Bird speak in the early noughties about homelessness; the rationale which - in my mind - was at odds with living in one of the world’s wealthiest nations.

In 2009, I moved back to my hometown of Bournemouth on the sleepy Dorset coast and was appalled to see the town named and shamed for the highest per capita rate of homelessness in the UK. The homeless are so unfairly stigmatised for choosing to live the way they do. It is so easy to adopt this mindset whilst deliberately crossing the street to avoid another bulging sleeping bag of humanity in a doorway. I believe every UK citizen has the right to a home.

Did I mention that prior to 2018, I had never run more than a mile? And that I’m in my 60th year. Oh, and many couldn’t recognise the eccentricity but only sheer stupidity of my ambition. The Big Issue believes and supports everyone to achieve. Whether its rebuilding

a life torn apart by mental illness, alcohol, drugs, sheer bad luck or in my case, offering a middle-aged man the chance to fulfil a crazy dream.

While running the marathon I constantly had visions of guys and girls returning to those self-same London streets I was passing on my journey to The Mall. I did of course see wonderful support for all the many charities represented in the race. And whilst I worked hard to raise my sponsorship for The Big Issue Foundation, I could not help thinking the sum might have been double had I chosen to run for a children’s or animal charity? If I have helped to change just a few people’s minds about homelessness however, then it will have all been worth it.

Moving forward, I will not stop banging on about The Big Issue and its national importance in these tumultuous times. You may have guessed that I do not like easy, but my year in support of The Big Issue Foundation has certainly stirred the emotions. I have met so many staff and activists (including a certain street cat), enjoyed chats with vendors across the country, attended events and even had a wonderful tour with former vendor turned guide Bill at Poole Hill Brewery in Bournemouth.

It has been an amazing but humbling experience; a year I will never forget supporting a charity I will not be forgetting.”

My Supporter StoryCliffe Tribe“My name is Cliffe. Having been inspired by the 2018 London Marathon, I decided that I wanted to run in 2019.

Photography by Magnus Arrevad, David Baird, Shen S Balendran, Orlando Gili, Phil Harrison, Louise Haywood-Schiefer, Sean Malyon, Matt Sheehan, Richard Tatham and Monica Tomicek.37

The Big Issue Foundation 3rd Floor, 113-115 Fonthill Road

London, N4 3HH

020 7526 3454 foundation@bigissue.com

www.bigissue.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 1049077 Company Registration No. 3049322