WINTER NEWSLETTER 2018
M A K E OR B A K E T IME THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p1 / WINTER 2018
CEO COLUMN WINTER 2018
WINTER NEWSLETTER 2018
CONTENTS 'I've been given another chance in life' 03 From an overdose to stabillity in six months Adapting to Change 04 How we provide the best services to vendors You Ain't Seen Muffin Yet (cover story) 06 Andre on his placement and plans for a new business A Week In The Life 08 Gabi Simi, Service Broker, Birmingham News From Around The Country 10 Music festivals, mentoring and beating the heat A Bridge Too Far 12 One day, Alan decided he had had enough of rough sleeping Credit Where Credit's Due 13 John Bird on his Creditworthiness Assessment Bill Walk This Way 14 Could you step up for The Big Night Walk A Day in their Shoes 16 Vendor Days offer team building and personal development Three Is The Magic number 18 Three simple ways you can support us this Christmas Counting The Cost Of Homelessness 20
Corporate Vendor Day experiences, page 16
WWW.BIGISSUE.ORG.UK/NEWSLETTERS Photography by Magnus Arrevad (p1, 6 & 7), and Matt Sheehan (p9) To complement the self-help ethos of The Big Issue magazine, The Big Issue Foundation was established in 1995 as an independently registered charity. We support Big Issue vendors to achieve financial stability through their magazine sales while supporting them to overcome longstanding social disadvantages. All of our beneficiaries are Big Issue vendors who buy magazines for £1.25 with their own money from official distribution points and sell them for £2.50 on a designated pitch. Our vision is to end poverty and exclusion for vendors and our mission is to connect them to the vital support and specialist services that enable them to rebuild their lives and determine their own pathways to a better future.
3rd Floor, 113-115 Fonthill Road, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3HH Tel: 0207 526 3458 www.bigissue.org.uk Email: foundation@bigissue.com www.twitter.com/TBIF www.facebook.com/TheBigIssueFoundation Registered Charity No. 1049077
We all have ‘needs’: perhaps friendship, purpose and a place to call home that feels like a ‘home’. For some of us, our issues can be so big that they stand in the way of our ‘needs’ – like a wall whose bricks can seem to be too high to get over and too strong to take apart. At The Big Issue Foundation we know that an increasing number of Big Issue vendors face issues that are both multiple and complex. They face these issues as they go about their daily job of running their own small enterprises: buying and selling The Big Issue magazine, investing their own cash and their own personality into their job of work. Big Issue vendors are in the business of changing their lives. Our voluntary-funded services are here to help vendors take down their personal walls and barriers and use the recovered bricks to rebuild better structures: building blocks for a better future. Despair and isolation transforms into purpose, hope and ambition. Welcome to our Winter 2018 newsletter. In these few pages we hope to show how your concrete support helps save and change lives, and celebrate some of the achievements and opportunities that help us help vendors do more. Tom’s personal journey includes barriers that most of us could never overcome: brain injury, illiteracy, no money and no home. With support, persistence and kindness from our team he is no longer sleeping outside, his housing situation is on the up, and he has a bank account, healthcare and a future completely different to the one he had when we first met him. In short, he is a citizen, he is looking after himself, he has hope and opportunity. The dictionary definition of ‘kindness’ is “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate”. Big Issue vendor Andre recently ventured indoors in a scheme we run that creates opportunities for vendors to work within an organisation, plying their trade and gaining support and work-related experiences to expand their skill sets. Through his own hard work and dedication, Andre earned the opportunity to start part-time paid employment. He is smoothing out the financial change-over by continuing to sell The Big Issue and hopes to go full-time in January 2019. Kindness and hard work have counted for so much here and Andre is confidently looking to the future with an eye on starting his own business later next year! Very sadly we also pay tribute to a much-loved vendor, Donato Barbieri. Donato passed away aged 72 recently. He was a very popular vendor and brightened the daily commute of many people on his Network Rail pitch at London Victoria station. Donato always said that his job gave him purpose. His job also gave others pleasure; his connection with customers was an amazing bond and a testament to his own commitment to brighten up the journeys of others. He was a kind and generous person who is missed by us all. In these tough times we do not face a ‘homelessness’ crisis, we do not face a ‘rough-sleeping’ crisis, we face a humanitarian crisis. Everyone can contribute, everyone can be an activist and can see the difference their contributions and kindness can make. I would like to acknowledge and say thanks for the kindness of our supporters. If you are reading this newsletter as the first communication from us then I hope you will be inspired to do more. Say hello to your local vendor, buy a copy of their magazine, take part in one of our many amazing events and donate to support our essential services. Thank you for reading and thank you for what you will go on to do.
UNSUBSCRIBE INFO: If you wish to unsubscribe from our postal newsletters please call 0207 526 3458 or email foundation@bigissue.com
Stephen Robertson, Chief Executive, The Big Issue Foundation
THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p2 / WINTER 2018
'I’VE BEEN GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE IN LIFE' TOM OVERDOSED EARLIER THIS YEAR BUT HAS FOUGHT HIS WAY BACK TO HEALTH SELLING THE BIG ISSUE
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ix months ago, I overdosed on Brighton beach, where I was found half-dead. I was struggling 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 believe I’ve been given another chance in life. 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 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 stop then they can too. They always give me a pat on the back. Before, I wasn’t looking after myself properly and was just too consumed by 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 now and whatever crosses my path I try to deal with in a civil manner. I see myself as a recovering addict now so for me it feels nice to be nice.
Elizabeth Edwards, Service Broker, Oxford write: Tom was new to Oxford when he turned up to our office after being discharged from hospital. He was extremely disorientated and vulnerable and had no money or ID.
THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p3 / WINTER 2018
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 a room in supported housing. Having established his legal name through his medical records, we helped Tom to obtain a birth certificate using the Vendor Support Fund. We also supported him to provide the documents necessary to open a bank account. He has very quickly settled into a regular selling routine and seems to have an innate ability for achieving high sales. He consistently sells over 50 magazines a week. Tom is now accessing a 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 all the local services he’s working with. Tom is financially stable and has moved rapidly away from homelessness to a more stable and settled way of living, which has made him a bit of role model among his friends.
ADAPTING TO CHANGE I
The Big Issue Foundation helps vendors transform their lives but has to continually transform itself to keep meeting their needs
n recent years we've been able to deliver real change on a larger scale than ever before, but only because of the generosity of our supporters. Without you we simply wouldn't be here for Big Issue vendors across the UK. That's why your trust is vital to us and why we're committed to being fully transparent and accountable to you. The Big Issue Foundation has always strived to support Big Issue vendors in nine key areas: safe and secure housing, access to education, access to employment, addiction treatment, financial support, improved health and wellbeing, possession of formal identification documents, access to a bank account, and financial inclusion.
We are evolving from being just a ‘homelessness charity’ to a broader focus on helping people out of poverty. Poverty that creates disadvantages such as homelessness. This means that as well as supporting people who are rough sleeping, we also help adults who are sofa-surfing, living in overcrowded housing, living in squats, living in insecure or temporary accommodation, using foodbanks, facing eviction, the long-term unemployed – anyone affected by poverty and who is selling The Big Issue magazine. In the last year we've commissioned two pieces of work to help us fully understand the impact our activities have on Big Issue THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p4 / WINTER 2018
vendors’ lives and to assess the efficiency of these services. In April, we formed a data-driven partnership with Applied Predictive Technologies (APT) to understand better what our beneficiary base looks like and how they’ve helped influence the way services are delivered. In August 2018, JH Consultancy undertook an evaluation of our Service Brokerage model. Consisting of interviews with Big Issue vendors, our frontline staff and senior management team, the report explores significant areas of impact, strength and innovation. It also presents key findings and makes recommendations for future service development.
expansion to most effectively serve vendors, especially those with higher levels of need. • TBIF work complements rather than duplicates other services: “I have been a rough sleeper for 19 years and I have been an addict throughout that time; I am now getting myself together and waiting for a place in rehab. I don’t need support from the brokerage because I am with Addaction. They give me what I need.” • There is an opportunity to establish a clear vendor feedback/consultation process to develop and improve service offering. • The Big Issue Foundation’s mission reflects The Big Issue’s ethos in supporting independence rather than creating dependence: a hand up, not a hand out. • The wide range of information, advice and guidance that Service Brokers provide to vendors highlights the complexity of the role and the breadth of information about services and providers they have to understand in order to deliver effectively.
Understanding the needs of the people who use our services and measuring the impact of our interventions allows us to work out what we do that works, and what doesn’t work so well. Learning from these findings allows us to provide the best possible support for vendors.
Key Findings • Vendors who come to work with us are very positive about the support they get and it is clear it works well for them: “Although the training on offer was a bit basic because I’d had loads of experience from my previous job, I really appreciated that they got my First Aid at Work certificate renewed and updated. Also, I did the customer service training and stewarding courses which led to a job at the football ground. I work there with my friend, on the payroll, at every home match. They also helped me to a get a rail
card – they paid half the annual fee – which makes working more viable for me. Without the reductions I get on the train fares, working isn’t worth it.” • Rigorous and well-organised monitoring of frontline service is working well. • Service brokers work from office locations in a number of different areas across England. This approach appears to be an effective model for a number of reasons and would benefit from THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p5 / WINTER 2018
Conclusion Twenty-five years on from being created, selling The Big Issue remains relevant and necessary for people living in poverty and on the margins of our society. It’s a unique financial inclusion opportunity that enables people to work for themselves under a recognised brand, providing dignity and purpose, combined with targeted support from service brokers. Our service brokerage model clearly provides a vital and much-valued service for many Big Issue vendors. It also offers value for money particularly because it encourages better engagement between vulnerable people and existing services, avoiding duplication of work. There is robust evidence demonstrating that regular and early interaction with our vendors drives stronger outcomes, so growing our team would quickly provide significant and much-needed help for more people living in poverty. The challenge is to keep changing with the times. We are committed to a process of continuous development so what we do can be understood and effective in an environment very different to the one in which The Big Issue was founded 25 years ago – the priority is always to meet the often complex needs of our vendors. The Big Issue Foundation will continue to learn and develop. We can only be stronger if we are together. So, we thank each and every one of you for what you help us do and what you will go on to do in the future. You can read the full evaluation report by JH Consultancy here: www.bigissue.org.uk/ evaluation-2018
YO U A I N ’ T S E E N MUFFIN YET Vendor Andre has secured valuable experience at a law firm but wants to start a business that will really bake something of his life
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y 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. When holding onto 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 for nine tortuous months; 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 fundamental goodness of people – the kindness and generosity shown by my customers, regular and occasional, has been consistent. In fact, overwhelming, totally eclipsing the few negative comments or experiences that inevitably come with the territory. Beyond that, there is the kindness of the various individuals and charities that help with food, drink, clothing and other necessaries. On a practical level, The Big Issue Foundation has supported my efforts at journalism, publishing and even commissioning articles from me, 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 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. Though I have started work at Freshfields, I will continue to vend until Christmas - you can’t suddenly stop existing in a cash, hand-to-mouth way and start sitting and waiting for a pay check, as the catastrophic roll-out of universal credit illustrates so painfully. Even after that, I will probably take a Friday/Saturday evening bar job or something similar to maintain cash flow. But my plan to conquer the universe doesn’t stop here. I often sold The Big Issue on Drury Lane. After hearing, for the thousandth time, a tourist burst into a chorus of Do You Know the Muffin Man?, I looked around and realised that there is a Muffin Man-shaped space on Drury Lane into 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. Come on, how cool would that be? My children love the whole idea of being able to say “my dad’s the Muffin Man” and if you can’t sell muffins on Drury Lane successfully, what kind of cockamamie world do we live in? 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.” THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p6 / WINTER 2018
Andre on starting a business
The officer said "Get up, pick up your sleeping bag and bugger off!" And, immediately, the man did as he was told. But the man was not cured of his homelessness ... Because homelessness is not an infirmity ... I think. I have been a Big Issue vendor for six years: six happy years – you don’t have to be miserable because you’re homeless. I mentioned being happy – that is, so far as I can work it out, pure luck. It is just my disposition. Being homeless typically takes an enormous emotional and psychological toll: it is profoundly distressing, it can be crushing. The first thing that gets damaged is your confidence: when you are homeless – especially if you are rough sleeping – a whole raft of assumptions are made about you and, sometimes unintentionally or subconsciously, most people who become aware of your circumstances are guarded, suspicious or openly hostile. You are invested with your lack of shelter. Which brings us neatly round to muffins. Yes. Muffins. It was on Drury Lane I had the idea. So I made enquiries, did research, called, wrote to and visited Camden Council – contrived a business plan, and got permission to sell muffins there. After a few bumps in the road I now have a business mentor, through the good offices of The Big Issue, and I aim to be up and running by Easter 2019, selling muffins part time. If it succeeds, I can go full time, THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p7 / WINTER 2018
if it goes belly up, I should be able to fall back on the office work. So far so good. But there is one small flaw in my plan to conquer, if not the universe, then a small corner of Camden – I am having trouble sourcing the right kind of muffin. I cannot sell heated food, while English muffins, delicious as they are toasted, taste like clay pigeons at street temperature. If the worst comes to the worst, I will simply sell American-style muffins to start, but I have a perfectly delicious third option that will be neither a chlorinated, unregulated American product, nor a false-toothshattering clump of dough. I have written to bakers, visited bakers, emailed bakers, and can’t quite find what I’m after, so have decided to take a different approach: to do it all backwards, as it were – and make a general appeal for bakers – if anybody reading this article could help ... This is precisely the opposite of what my sensible, practical, pragmatic and highly professional business mentor advises but here’s the rub: it’s a confidence thing. The relationship, the years of homelessness, financial hardship, and so much more about our circumstances have whittled away my self-confidence and self-esteem: try as I might, when I do communicate with these bakers, I am over selfdeprecating, I feel hollow, confused, unworthy and this was exacerbated when it came to putting together a CV. Fortunately, I have professionals helping me with the CV – there is a tremendous amount of goodwill. The problem isn’t who I know I am as a person, but what I feel I am – what I think other people think I am – I am comfortable with public speaking, performing, media – because that’s me being me – but when it comes to what I am, it is really hard to escape defining myself in terms of being homeless, which is why I’m comfortable being a Big Issue vendor – it’s like having the family name Baker and being a baker – it fits. Anyway, with luck, a tailwind, a suitable baker, my hugely patient business mentor, loads more goodwill, Old Uncle Tom Cobbly and all, and any other support that presents itself, my hope is to reconcile who and what I am. Watch this space ...
A W EEK IN T HE L IF E OF G ABI SIMI, SERVICE BROKER, BIRMINGH AM
MONDAY
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 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.
TUESDAY
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 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. 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, my colleagues and I update vendors’ badges and offer new vendors support to find a pitch where they can sell. A little while later 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.
WEDNESDAY
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 can help vendors save money and reduce isolation. I contact Springfield Project, who 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.
THURSDAY
Today I met with the Senior Education & Training Manager from Umbrella – a University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation 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
THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p8 / WINTER 2018
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. 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.
FRIDAY
Today I catch up with vital admin, ensuring all our partner agency contacts are in the system. Next, I put information 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 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.
I HELP A YOUNG VENDOR WHO IS PREGNANT WITH HER SECOND CHILD
THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p9 / WINTER 2018
LONDON We supported Big Issue vendors
NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY BEATING THE HEATWAVE, VISITING A MUSIC FESTIVAL, MORE CARD READERS AND A BRUSH WITH ROCK N ROLL LEGENDS – IT'S BEEN A BUSY OLD TIME UP AND DOWN THE UK
THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p10 / WINTER 2018
through the summer heatwave by providing bottled water and sun protection. These were distributed via franchisees at distribution points across London and reached over 60 vendors. Going into winter, we’re working alongside the British Transport Police to reduce the impact begging has on vendors. We’re also working with Islington Council to promote The Big Issue as an alternative to begging and a means for vulnerable people to earn a legitimate income. We’ve continued to grow our network by providing information about The Big Issue to Day Centre visitors. We’ve also developed a relationship with The Robes Project, a winter night shelter that our team can now refer vendors to. Ten vendors participated in recent corporate experience events. Delegates sold The Big issue alongside vendors to get a taste of the challenges vendors face every day. We received positive feedback across the board. Vendors enjoyed helping participants with sales skills and acting as mentors for the day. The delegates found the experience greatly challenged their previous perceptions of homelessness and were astonished by the public’s response to vendors.
Three vendors accessed our Corporate Placement programme to gain work experience and further their career prospects. One vendor went on to gain employment with law firm Freshfields. Two vendors accessed a sheltered corporate pitch. One through a partnership with Network Rail and the other through a corporate placement. The partnership with Network Rail has given vendors a great opportunity to sell inside. We’re currently in the process of placing another two vendors inside major stations including Paddington and King’s Cross. With the aid of our Vendor Support Fund, two vendors have successfully applied for a passport and one vendor has received part of a New House kit after finding permanent accommodation. We welcomed a new Service Broker, Vicky, to the team. She’ll be supporting vendors to access services and improve their health and wellbeing. In the coming months we will see an increase in sales for vendors as the Christmas season gets underway. We will be doing our best to ensure everyone receives enough support, particularly with money management and health. We will be running a Health & Wellbeing Week followed by Money Week to empower vendors to make informed decisions to improve their situation.
SOUTH WEST We’ve had a busy few months in Bristol
and Bath. We were at the Downs Festival with five vendors selling programmes and magazines. The Big Issue’s partnership with the festival gives them all a chance to be employed at next year’s event. A joint initiative with St Mungo’s gave vendors the opportunity to use showers and washing facilities at the Compass Centre and access housing advice. In Bath we completed our move to new premises in Green Park. The new office is in a shared space and we are developing new ways of working, including more outreach and regular drop-ins at Developing Health & Independence (DHI) and Genesis Trust’s Lifeline centre. Our strong connections with local Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) services has led to an invite to attend and speak at a Roma community conference organised by Up Our Street alongside Yaron Matras, author of I Met Lucky People. We’ve also partnered with Freedom of Mind to host a discussion on homelessness and mental health, with our staff both chairing the debate and speaking on the panel. Vendor Mike became the new seller at our corporate pitch in Temple Meads station. Alongside two other people he will also receive an iZettle card reader during our trial of the hardware. Meanwhile, Nigel was referred to the careers advice at Himilo Training, a training provider set up by Ashley
Community House. He immediately lined up several job interviews, and has now found full-time work as a chef.
WEST MIDLANDS In Birmingham we’ve found a new
vendor to take on the mantle of New Street Station’s Big Issue vendor. He’s sold on Birmingham’s streets for four years and is very happy to have a roof over his head as he feels it will open up many more opportunities for him. He is settling in well and we look forward to supporting him in his new environment. One of our Midlands vendors has recently signed up to do a translation course. He has always been asked by his community to help translate documents, and he’s decided he wants to do this professionally. He came into the office to show us his homework, which was fascinating. Four vendors were given a unique selling opportunity by the Arctic Monkeys last month! They were invited by the band to sell The Big Issue at their Birmingham concerts. This raised awareness of our work to a new audience. It was a fantastic evening, although they were far too busy selling their magazines to see the gig itself!
FOUR VENDORS WERE INVITED TO SELL M A G A Z I N E S AT A N ARCTIC MONKEYS GIG
NOTTINGHAM In Nottingham we have been spending
a lot of time preparing for the move to our new office at 99 Derby Road. We now have a prominent shop front on one of Nottingham’s busy streets, which will hopefully help raise awareness about The Big Issue in the city. If you are walking past please call in to say hello or to find out more about what we do. As we’re heading towards winter we’re thinking about how to help keep the vendors safe and well and we plan to do some work with the Tuberculosis Team at Nottingham City Hospital to raise TB awareness in the community. We’ve been involved in previous TB events and are building on this work. Following on from the positive experience vendor Paul had with a card reader on his pitch, we are working with vendors who are also interested in getting a card reader to help increase their sales. Paul’s experience was reported in the local paper, which was positive in raising awareness of his profile and the difference card readers can make to vendors’ income. THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p11 / WINTER 2018
OXFORD We’ve been busy supporting several
vendors who have multiple, very complex needs over the summer. One vendor recently suffered a psychotic episode, which resulted in severe brain injury and permanent memory loss. He’s also dealing with physical health and literacy challenges. He came to see us and was extremely disorientated, had no form of identification, no income or savings, and was sleeping rough. We supported him to be assessed for council assistance with housing. We used the Vendor Support Fund to help him get a copy of his birth certificate, which was used to prove his identify to open a bank account. We also helped him to make a Universal Credit claim. He’s settled into a regular selling routine very quickly and is consistently selling 50-plus magazines a week. To improve his health, this vendor stopped using illegal drugs more than eight months ago and is no longer abusing alcohol. We’ve supported him to access services at his local medical centre. Our primary focus with this vendor has been to promote his financial and social inclusion and empower him to move away from homelessness to a more stable and settled way of life.
DORSET AND HAMPSHIRE We marked the end of summer by
organising a beach barbeque for vendors, volunteers, friends and partner agencies. This was a fantastic opportunity for everyone to cook for each other, get to know each other, and chat over food and fizzy pop. Over 25 people attended, everyone mucked in, and feedback was positive from all. We are now entering the winter months, and these can be some of the worst and best for the vendors we work with. The weather changes to wetter and colder, which can have a negative impact on vendors who are sleeping rough. We’ve built close connections with rough sleeping teams and key agencies. We also attend multi-agency meetings and network constantly to ensure we refer vendors to the most appropriate services. We helped house six vendors through these networks during the summer. Our aim is to provide early assessment of housing need and refer as quick as we can to get vendors off the street and into housing. We’re busy planning for Health and Wellbeing week. Vendors always engage well during this project and our aim is to promote access to healthcare and encourage participation. To help vendors maximise their sales over Christmas, our team will provide money management support, including access to the Vendor Saving Scheme and help to apply for bank accounts. Budgeting support will also be provided.
AT T H E M O M E N T I H A V E A GIRAFFE WITH PEARS A L L O V E R H I M S TA N D ING NEXT TO ME
A B R I D G E T O O FA R
I
Having lived under a bridge for over two years, Alan decided it was time to get his life sorted
looked after my mum for five years because she had Alzheimer’s and when she passed away I moved in with my partner. I had to move out when we broke up and that was it, basically. I did a bit of sofa-surfing with friends at first but eventually I ended up living under a bridge near to where my mum and I used to live. After a while I managed to put up a tent there and that was where I lived for about two-and-ahalf years. I just piled on the sleeping bags and blankets when it got cold. When I first started selling The Big Issue, my GP was over 15 miles away, but Katie, the Service Broker from The Big Issue Foundation, made sure I knew where the local walk-in centre was and where the winter night shelter was in case I needed to get out of the cold. In the end I thought, “I’m getting a bit
old for this” so I went into emergency accommodation for nearly two years. Then, last Christmas, a friend who lives in a block of flats called her landlord and he he had a flat going. I moved in on 4 January. It’s coming together slowly but surely. The first of October was my five-year anniversary selling The Big Issue. I’ve had the same pitch throughout and I’ve got quite a few regulars now. At the moment I have a giraffe with pears all over him next
I JUST PILED ON THE SLEEPING BAGS AND BLANKETS WHEN IT GOT TOO COLD THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p12 / WINTER 2018
to my pitch. It’s a campaign called Standing Tall in Worcester, in aid of St Richard’s Hospice, and there are 60 decorated giraffes all over town. It’s a game for kids – they have to mark each giraffe off as they find them. The Big Issue Foundation Vendor Support Fund helped me to get a passport, open a bank account and buy a microwave for my new flat. The fund is a vital lifeline when you’re trying to get back on track and piece your life back together. 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. I’ve got about 20 or 30 regulars who always turn up. A positive attitude helps. A customer once brought me a big bag of coppers and said it was my lucky day. I said, “Every day’s a lucky day as I’m still breathing!” As long as I wake up in the morning and can get out and do what I want to do then I’m happy. When my mum was alive I was her full-time carer. Alzheimer’s goes in three stages and I moved in with her when she was midway through the first stage. It progressed, and she gradually got worse and worse so in the end I was doing everything. I’m a pipe fitter by trade but I gave that up to care for my mum. After five years of not really doing anything physical the idea of humping pipes around or going up scaffolds – I don’t think so! I like people and I talk a lot, so this is the job for me for now. If I can talk about Formula One, all the better!
Katie Moreton, Service Broker Team Leader, West Midlands I’ve had the pleasure of working with Alan for about a year now. Every time I go on Outreach to Worcester we have a catch-up, often talking about the Formula One, although Alan knows a lot more about it than I do. There’s always someone talking with Alan, whether it’s to buy the magazine or to ask him directions. He tells me he is like a tour guide in that sense and he’s told me about some of the history of Worcester too! It’s really great to see how far Alan has come in the last few years and I’m happy that he’s now in a flat where he’s settled and has friends around him.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT’S DUE John Bird’s bill to help people get fairer access to credit makes it into the Commons
their decisions, many millions of people will continue to get worse deals for loans, insurance, utilities and mobiles than those with a mortgage. And most people who live in rented accommodation tend to be low paid and less advantaged already. With even well-paid people not getting into mortgaging because of the enormous costs of housing, the failure to take rent payments into account as evidence of someone’s ability to pay is crippling more and more people. Almost 15 million people now rent. How do you enable these people to socially prosper? One way is to make rent count. To free people up to get fairer access, better deals and more value, even if they aren’t anywhere near to the mortgage ladder. We need to stop unjustly penalising renters because their credit scores don’t accurately reflect their ability to pay. It’s a big mission, and achieving it requires renters, landlords, social housing providers, credit reference agencies, fintechs, HM Treasury, the FCA – and, crucially, lenders – to work together. The bill, if it becomes law, will open up the biggest of debates about those who, through circumstances, are unable to be regular rent payers. There will have to be some serious thinking to address how
P O V E R T Y N O T O N LY H A R M S T H E B O D Y, I T EMPTIES YOUR POCKETS AND SAPS THE SPIRIT
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he Creditworthiness Assessment Bill I introduced in the House of Lords has now passed through to the House of Commons. A Private Member’s Bill, most of which never get anywhere in the strange life of parliament, it’s been taken up by former Education Secretary Justine Greening (pictured) and is backed by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and MPs from every political party. From the SNP to the DUP, having all-party support is extraordinary. But what’s so great about this draft legislation that’s ponderously been labelled the Creditworthiness Assessment Bill? It addresses the unfairness between those who rent and those who own their home when it comes to accessing credit; addressing a desperately unequal system where mortgage holders are pushed up into a kind of upper class of borrowing, while renters are kept down in a lower class. Those lucky enough to have a mortgage
have borrowed the future in order to spend it today. That is to say, they’re living in property they can’t really afford, unless a third party has allowed them to borrow from future earnings. And then they amortise – that is, they gradually pay off – their indebtedness of today. Meanwhile, those who rent their accommodation have to stump up payments each period, weekly or monthly. If you’re fortunate enough to move into a future with a mortgage, there’s a knock-on effect. It means that your mortgage payments, as long as you keep them up, bring with them an ability to pay less for credit services and products because you’re considered a safe bet – mortgage payments are indicative of your creditworthiness. Meanwhile, those who rent their accommodation are unfairly penalised. Their rent records are not put to use to determine whether they’re a safe bet. Unless we can get lenders to take tenants’ rent payments into account in THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p13 / WINTER 2018
people fall behind with rent because of, as Archbishop Justin Welby pointed out recently, the iniquities of Universal Credit; where people can be left accumulating a bad rent record because the state has dragged its social security feet. The bill has sparked a national discussion about how data can be a force for good in equalising access to affordable credit. It attempts to address the issue of why millions of renters are condemned to pay over the odds for credit. I see the Creditworthiness Assessment Bill as one of a number of changes necessary to address the wicked problem of the poverty premium – the higher costs paid by the poor for being poor. These costs, on average £490 per year, are roadblocks to people getting out of poverty. They often require time and resources to negotiate your way around them. Poverty not only harms the body, it empties your pockets and saps the soul. The bill addresses one aspect of the high-cost credit poverty trap, which punishes those who cannot get a mortgage. We’ll keep you informed of its progress as we continue to call on those in power to #MakeRentCount. John Bird is the founder and Editor in Chief of The Big Issue. You can stay updated on his work by reading his weekly column, @johnbirdwords or signing up here: www.bigissue.org.uk/newsletter
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WA L K T H I S WAY
The Big Issue Foundation's Big Night Walk is back after the Beast from the East managed to freeze the event earlier this year
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he Beast from the East weather pattern heavily disrupted The Big Issue Foundation’s events across the country in March. In Bristol, The Sleep Out was cancelled due to plunging temperatures and in London The Big Night Walk, our biggest event of the year, was halted due to dangerously icy conditions and a public transport standstill. Nevertheless, you persisted. Despite the arctic conditions, supporters who had already put their efforts into fundraising continued and many took on their own smaller, local walks that enabled us to still raise funds to keep The Big Issue Foundation’s vital services running. Now, once again, we are ready to hit the streets to make this a night to remember. Founded in solidarity with rough sleepers who find it safer to walk around London by night rather than bed down on the streets of the capital, The Big Night Walk starts off in Shoreditch Town Hall where you’ll hear from Big Issue vendors with first-hand experience of life s leeping rough.
From Shoreditch, you’ll pass the bustling nightlife of Camden, through Marylebone and deep into Soho. Crossing over the river towards Waterloo, you will follow the Thames down the picturesque South Bank and over the iconic Millennium Bridge. A quick look at St Paul’s Cathedral lit by moonlight is unmissable - before returning through the quiet streets of the City to Shoreditch Town Hall for a well-earned cup of tea and a rest. Alongside the physical challenge, The Big Night Walk offers you an opportunity to hear from Big Issue vendors past and present about their experiences selling the magazine, sleeping rough and moving on from The Big Issue. An introduction from The Big Issue Foundation CEO Stephen Robertson will let you know some of the ways your valuable fundraising helps to end poverty and exclusion for Big Issue vendors before you hit the streets. Just £10 can provide one hour of one-to-one Service Broker support for a vendor. Just think how far your £250
fundraising target will go in enabling Big Issue vendors to access the housing, finance, health and wellbeing services they need to work towards their personal goals, maybe finding permanent accommodation, reuniting with family, or securing stable employment. Selling The Big Issue and getting involved with The Big Issue Foundation’s Corporate Placement Programme enabled Big Issue vendor Paul to transform his life: “There are a million reasons people become homeless. For me it was quite complicated, one thing after another in quick succession. In a short time, I went from having a job and a flat to sleeping in a churchyard and being isolated from family … The main thing is what happened next – I steadily worked myself out of homelessness with the opportunity The Big Issue gave me. I found that as well as putting money in my pocket, it gave me my self-respect and confidence back.” Help transform more lives like Paul’s today. Sign up to the Big Night Walk 2019 here: www. bigissue.org.uk/walk. 50% off registrations this December with promo code: December.
WEAR SOMETHING WOOLLY On Friday 7 December, turn your school or workplace woolly for Big Issue vendors! Wear Something Woolly Day is a fun and simple way for organisations, schools and businesses to raise money for The Big Issue Foundation by simply wearing a woolly jumper, hat or scarf for the day and donating a small amount while you do. Over the last four years, we’ve seen over £25,000 raised by keen knitters and knitwear lovers so get ready to get woolly! Simply let us know that your school or
workplace wants to get involved by emailing events@bigissue.com, or heading over to our website, and we’ll send you everything you need to spread the word and fundraise – just add wool! For a £2 donation, sport your woolly clothes with pride, knowing that the money you are raising is helping Big Issue vendors to rebuild their lives this winter. Why not host a swap shop and trade in your Christmas jumper for your colleague’s knitted hat, or teach a knitting or crochet workshop in your
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lunchbreak? Or keep it simple: wear your woolly gear with pride and raise vital funds for The Big Issue Foundation. Your donations will help us in our mission to connect every Big Issue vendor to the support and personal solutions that enable them to rebuild their lives. By taking part in Wear Something Woolly Day, you’ll be helping more and more vendors on their paths away from poverty, so wrap up warm this winter!
A D AY I N S E O H S R I E H T Vendor Days, designed to bring employees together and allow them to experience new perspectives, are growing in popularity. What could you learn?
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he Big Issue Foundation hosts Vendor Days as an employee engagement activity with a social focus; exposing a very different perspective on life. Participants don the iconic red jacket to sell The Big Issue magazine alongside Big Issue vendors on their live pitch. They are split into teams and all proceeds from the sales of magazines go to their designated vendor. For healthy competition we encourage teams to battle against each other to see who can sell the most magazines, similar to a challenge on The Apprentice. This adds a sense of fun and camaraderie, but does not negate the life-transformational impact that the day holds as common misconceptions around homelessness change through experiential learning. The day is usually facilitated within London’s financial district, which goes some way to highlighting the inequalities that exist in the capital. Big Issue vendors,
“What a fantastic experience. It was humbling and eye-opening and taught me so much that destroyed any misconceptions I had inherited from others. The Big Issue vendors inspired me as they are people who are taking their current situation into their own hands and making a future for themselves with the support and encouragement of The Big Issue Foundation.” Zoe, Freshfields
“People assumed I was homeless; mothers grabbed the hand of their kids and others clutched onto their bags. I felt this was an attack on my character, making me feel small and worthless. As my mood levels dropped it occurred to me that throughout the day I was simply viewing various forms of myself: before this experience I too shunned The Big Issue sellers.” Tony, Regional Head of Wealth Management, HSBC
however, are tenacious, setting up their micro-enterprises when faced with real adversity. So, as well as raising awareness of the challenges of homelessness and poverty, this experience is equal parts inspiring and humbling as participants gain first-hand insight into the issues that some of the most excluded people in society face daily and the efforts made to overcome such barriers. We have worked with a range of organisations to tailor the day to their requirements: • RBS - Senior Leadership Challenge • HSBC - Sales and Training Challenge • Dennis Publishing - Sales Challenge • Royal College of Nursing - HR Leadership Challenge • Freshfields - Trainee Lawyer Induction (CSR) • Gowling WLG - Trainee Lawyer Induction (CSR) • Simmons & Simmons - Trainee Lawyer Induction (CSR) • Wellcome - Impact Volunteering
“It was a good and insightful experience to be a Big Issue vendor for a day, experiencing first-hand the difficulties that they might face every day – standing for long hours, coping with harsh weather, being ignored and avoided.” Louise, MUFG
“On reflection, it was a little bit like undertaking one of those sales tasks in an early-series episode of The Apprentice. A huge buzz from being dunked in the deep end. And with it, lots of raw emotion.” Emily, Wellcome
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• Dunnhumby - Impact Volunteering • MUFG - Impact Volunteering. Law firms Freshfields, Simmons & Simmons and Gowling WLG have all endorsed the experience by implementing it as a key aspect of their trainee lawyer induction programme, resulting in over 120 trainee lawyers taking part each year. Our overall feedback highlights that the vendor day experience has made a considerable impact to those that have participated; making them more likely to engage with a Big Issue vendor or an excluded or homeless person in the future. From the Big Issue vendor’s perspective, they tangibly feel the sense of solidarity and friendship from the day as well as increased sales; leading to social and financial inclusion. To take part in this initiative please contact Serena Crisp, Head of Partnerships and Philanthropy on 020 7526 3452 or by email serena.crisp@bigissue.com
THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER WE NOW HAVE THREE SUPER-SIMPLE WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT US WHILE SHOPPING THIS CHRISTMAS
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If you shop on Amazon UK you can support The Big Issue Foundation by starting your shop at smile.amazon.co.uk. AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favourite charity every time you shop, at no extra cost to you or the charity. When you shop at smile.amazon.co.uk, you’ll
have the same experience as shopping at amazon.co.uk, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to the charity. Simply go to smile.amazon. co.uk from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. On your first visit you can choose The Big Issue
Foundation as the charity you wish to support and then every eligible purchase you make will result in a donation. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Big Issue Foundation!
So whether you are completing your holiday shopping or just picking something up for yourself, start your shopping at www.smile.amazon.co.uk
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Did you know that in the UK people spend £1bn every year on greetings cards? We’ve partnered with e-card experts Don’t Send Me A Card so you can send festive e-cards instead of greeting cards this holiday season. On the website you will first be prompted to select the charity you would like
to support. Once you have chosen The Big Issue Foundation, you will be able to choose which type of card you wish to send – there are even specially created Big Issue Foundation cards! Once you have chosen your card, you can write a personal message and choose how much
you would have spent on the card. You can then make your donation via Paypal or credit card. Donations are sent instantly to The Big Issue Foundation. On top of supporting us, it’s also better for the environment - you’ll be saving trees and reducing your carbon footprint.
Whatever the occasion, visit www.DontSendMeACard.com to send your greeting cards!
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Shop at over 4,200 top stores and raise free funds for The Big Issue Foundation via the free online platform Give As You Live. The store pays Give as You Live a percentage of your total purchase price in commission and, of this, 50% is passed on to us! You can register on their website or via iPhone/iPad (Android coming soon!) for free and when you sign up, choose The Big Issue Foundation as the charity you would like to support. Once
you are registered, visit the shop via the Give As You Live website or app and then shop as normal. The donation amount varies from store to store. Most of the time you raise a percentage of what you spend – between 1% and 10% – while sometimes it's a fixed amount. With some stores there are different rates or restrictions depending on what you buy – you can see more information on each store's page on our website.
Sign up and shop at www.giveasyoulive.com/join/tbif THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p18 / WINTER 2018
There is no extra cost to you or us – 100% of the donation will reach The Big Issue Foundation. Here are some places you can shop via Give As You Live: Groceries: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons. Gifts: Amazon, Etsy, ebay. Travel: Trainline, Expedia
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COUNTING THE COST OF HOMELESSNESS The Dying Homeless project aims to help establish official figures for homeless deaths
is in the final stages of producing its own “experimental” statistics by the end of the year. “To date, there are no official figures on deaths of homeless people. The problem is two-fold: firstly, that homelessness takes many different forms, and secondly, that there is no specific way of recording ‘homeless’ at death registration.” On World Homeless Day (10 October) they released their findings, which showed that 449 homeless people had died since the previous October. However, they know
FIGURES SHOWED 449 HOMELESS PEOPLE DIED – THEY KNOW THE TRUE FIGURE IS HIGHER
There has never been a count of the number of homeless deaths. A major, year-long study by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has delved into the stories and found there have been hundreds – at least – of these barelynoticed deaths in just a year. The project, called Dying Homeless, was launched in October 2017. Reporters spent 12 months digging into the reasons why homeless
people can just disappear and why their lives are valued so little. They spoke to homeless charities, organisations and journalists (including those at The Big Issue) in a bid to track down every death on the streets, in temporary accommodation or in hospital. Deb Humberstone, Office for National Statistics, penned a blog outlining how the Office
the true figure is likely to be much higher. But it’s not just about the numbers – behind every death is the story of a person, frequently one who faced more challenges than most. The Bureau’s reporters travelled the country attending funerals and speaking to families and friends to get to the truth. One of the people they focused on was Milton Keynes Big Issue vendor Fabian Bayet, who passed away in July. To let the Bureau of Investigative Journalism know about someone who has died while sleeping rough, or was considered statutory homeless but in temporary accommodation, fill out the simple form at bit.ly/dyinghomeless.
RIP D O NATO BARBI E R I WE PAY TRIBUTE TO A MUCH-LOVED VENDOR
We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of much-loved Big Issue vendor Donato Barbieri. The 72-year-old London Victoria Station seller passed away on 14 September after a short illness. Originally from Turin, Italy, Donato was always a man of adventure. As a young man he went to Australia working in the nickel mines for a time before coming to London where he found work as a waiter. He went on to work on a cruise liner for some time before returning to Italy. However, in 2016 life threw a curveball, and he returned to London for a fresh start. Donato was a popular seller and quickly gained a National Rail pitch inside Victoria station where he brought joy to morning commuters on their way to work. During his time there, we
regularly received messages from people telling us how jolly Donato was and how he brightened their mornings. In his My Pitch interview in 2016, Donato told us that “selling The Big Issue gave an old man like me purpose”. Donato’s positive can-do attitude not only brought him magazine sales but was celebrated by The Big Issue. Last year, he was recognised for his hard work with an invite from Lord John Bird to visit the House of Lords alongside select vendors from around the country. Donato had also been a smash hit at his recent corporate placement at Wellcome – on his first day he sold out after just two hours. The placement not only provided Donato with a sheltered
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and friendly environment in which to sell The Big Issue, but also provided experience, connections and skills through mentoring and training. Big Issue London regional manager Chris Stuchbery added: “Donato was a well-loved character wherever he sold The Big Issue. His passing was a shock to us and he will be missed by all who came into contact with him. Donato sold in Victoria Station, The Wellcome Trust and Angel for the time he was with us and was valued by the communities he became part of.”
