NEWSLETTER SPRING 2015
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p1 / SPRING 2015
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F AT
IMAGINE YOU'VE LOST YOUR PLACE IN THE WORLD AND DECIDE TO REBUILD YOUR LIFE...
NEWSLETTER SPRING 2015
CONTENTS The Right Place 03 How a corporate placement changed a life A Day In The Life 04 Big Issue Foundation worker Susannah I Wanted My Identity Back 06 How vendor Mick is mending his broken family Put The Best Foot Forward 08 The Big Night Walk becomes a carnival of fun! All Being Well 10 Why wellbeing is more than just a health issue News From Around The Country 12 Charity walks, a push for volunteers and a makeover Vital Statistics 14 A message of thanks to our supporters George's Story 16 "Soon I'll be buying the magazine, not selling it"
The Big Issue Foundation has had the great pleasure of working with the world famous James Bowen and Street Cat Bob over the last year. If you want to keep abreast of this continuing partnership, and other news from The Big Issue Foundation, sign up for our online newsletter at
WWW.BIGISSUE.ORG.UK/NEWSLETTER Photography: Magnus Arrevad The Big Issue Foundation is dedicated to the wellbeing of Big Issue vendors and we work with over 2500 individuals across the UK. Our skilled Service Brokers work one-to-one with vendors, creating bespoke life action plans with a core self-help ethos, to tackle issues ranging from health and accommodation through to money management and aspirations. The Big Issue Foundation is about taking control, moving forward, gaining independence and rebuilding lives.
1-5 Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall, London, SW8 2LN Tel: 0207 526 3454 www.bigissue.org.uk Email: foundation@bigissue.com www.twitter.com/TBIF www.facebook.com/TheBigIssueFoundation Registered Charity No. 1049077 UNSUBSCRIBE INFO: If you wish to unsubscribe or subscribe to e-newsletters please email foundation@bigissue.com or call 0207 526 3454
WE ALL KNOW there are no guarantees in life, but one thing we know for certain is that the more effort you put into something, the more likely you are to get something back. Imagine you have lost your family, your friends, your job, your place in the world – that you find yourself on the street, alone, afraid and cold. In today’s climate, the support that is on offer is increasingly hard to obtain, your choices are limited at best. Imagine you make the decision to start your own business, to become a Big Issue seller and begin to rebuild your life… The first thing that The Big Issue offers people is a job; a reason to get up in the morning and go to work. Big Issue vendors are first and foremost in the business of changing their lives. The Big Issue Foundation is there to help our sellers re-connect with themselves, with the world, and with their aspirations. The magazine offers the opportunity to earn a livelihood and the Foundation is here to help turn that livelihood back into a life. Mick Dillon has been a vendor since 2011. Having worked abroad for some time, he came to us at a point where he was rough sleeping in Birmingham. He moved from this to a hostel and finally into his own flat, but he struggled with his tenancy. We worked with local services and liaised with his family to help address some of his problems. He has health challenges but is connected now to local service support. With a troubled background, Mick has not seen his mother in 27 years. We helped Mick with his budgeting and he has been saving money from his magazine sales to go on holiday; definitely a good reason to go to work. He contributed towards a grant that we gave him and he obtained a passport as a result. This summer, with his brother, he will finally see his mother again… Stories such as Mick’s are a reason to celebrate. Mick was supported by our Service Broker Susannah. This newsletter features a day in her life; a day that is only made possible by the support of our wonderful donors. We also highlight our work around the country. We also celebrate Ron and George’s Corporate Placement at a leading bank in Canary Wharf. Ron opened the door here to sales opportunities inside their offices and has passed this on to his fellow vendor George. Our programme connects vendors with new customers, customers who come to understand ‘homelessness’ in an entirely different light, customers who extend support and who even have a go at selling the magazine themselves! We celebrate our recent Health Week and the hundreds of participants in our recent Big London Night Walk. Everything that we do is about creating opportunities by fixing the links that may otherwise go unmended. This year we anticipate that we will have worked with over 2600 micro-entrepreneurs, achieving a record-breaking impact of over 5000 positive outcomes. We remain far smaller an organization than is often thought. With your support we hope to get just a little bigger this year, extending our work on to the streets and taking some part-time posts to full-time. We can only do what we do because of you. Please help us do more. Thank you for being a friend, a supporter and a Big Issue believer.
Stephen Robertson Chief Executive, The Big Issue Foundation
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Ron meeting with Northern Trust CEO Wilson Leech Pic: Camilla Greene
THE RIGHT PLACE
Owen Baily By taking a positive approach to a placement selling magazines inside the offices of a bank, Ron has taken some amazing steps forward; now he is passing the baton to George
B
ig Issue vendors are not normally allowed to sell magazines in pairs, but on Thursday January 29 an exception was made! Selling in the Deli at Northern Trust, a bank in Canary Wharf, Ron was actually handing over the corporate placement that he has worked on for 13 months to George. It was time for another vendor to benefit from the great opportunity that this one-day-a-week corporate placement brings. Ron was the first in-house vendor at the bank, and admits, “I was nervous on my first day, I didn’t know what to expect”. But thanks to his reliability and friendliness, Ron has built up a network of support at Northern Trust – he got to know his way around the building and made quite a few friends. He was in a good position to provide George with a handover, introducing him to the regular customers and showing him the ropes. Ron wasn’t sure how he would be accepted when he started the placement, but, he says, he was “surprised at how successful it has been”. On a Thursday he could depend on his sales, knowing his regulars would buy from him, but it’s not just the additional income that has made the difference. “I treated this very much like a job,” Ron says. “I knew I had to get up in the morning and put on a tie. Getting to know the people here has also made a difference, they have been so kind to me and so supportive. I feel a lot more confident as a result.” At the start of this placement Ron was in a very different place. He was living with a friend in a car, he wasn’t claiming his army
pension, and he struggled to make ends meet. Thanks to the supportive environment at Northern Trust, and guidance from Connexions, he has now made a backdated claim for his pension, applied for housing benefit, secured a small flat, and even has some savings thanks to his increase in sales. George will be taking over the placement for the next six months, during which time he will benefit from the employee support, improved sales, and also some mentoring and skills development. George is working hard to establish his own business and Northern Trust has offered to help him with his website and digital marketing. Employees at Northern Trust are very sad to see Ron go, and presented him with a fantastic cake to mark the occasion. Ron says he will miss their support but, “I know I’ll get up next Thursday and put on a tie!” he says – he already has plans for the future. Northern Trust are excited to be working with George, and looking forward to seeing the positive impact the placement will also have on his situation. “Ron laid the foundations really well at Northern Trust and everybody has been so friendly since I started, I have really enjoyed being there. Arriving at the office for 7am last week with a light dusting of snow on the pavement, I was really glad to be inside for the day! Many of the staff have stopped for a chat and have been extremely supportive. “
" i kne w i had
to get up e very morning and put on a shirt and tie "
You can read George’s story on the back page of this newsletter.
THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p3 / SPRING 2015
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"G I V I N G V E N D O R S A WAY T O B U I L D R E L AT I O N S H I P S W I T H C U S T O M E R S I S K E Y" SUSANNAH WILSON SERVICE BROKER IN BIRMINGHAM
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A D AY I N T H E L I F E O F A B I G I S S U E F O U N D AT I O N W O R K E R 10AM AN APPOINTMENT
It’s Wednesday morning and my first appointment is with someone returning to sell The Big Issue after a short break – he’s living in a hostel due to family breakdown, and is waiting for a benefit claim to get up and running. Therefore, he’s keen to get out selling, but I write out a referral to a food bank for him first. We discuss where he’s going to go to sell, and I make him a badge and book him onto a pitch in the city centre.
11AM A LESSON
Alex, our ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher, arrives and I discuss today’s lesson – this week they’re going to learn how to talk about families using pictures of the Royal Family! Giving our vendors a way to build relationships with their customers is key to regular sales, and family is always a good talking point. We have eight students with varying levels of English – for those with very low levels, the classes are linked to their badge validity. Walking past the classroom, I hear them singing the alphabet song together in a deafening and very enthusiastic style!
12PM A MEETING
Whilst the class is in progress upstairs, a colleague from the Community Mental Health Team drops in to introduce a medical student who’s shadowing him, and asks me to explain a little about what we do and the referral process. After the class there’s a flurry of activity as badges are renewed, and vendors very proudly ask to buy magazines using the correct sentences they’ve just learnt – it’s really amazing to hear.
2PM A PROBLEM
In the afternoon, I meet a vendor who presents me with a large carrier bag of unopened envelopes. He hasn’t wanted to look at it as he’s been worried about what might be in the pile, and he is suffering from poor mental health currently. We sift through it and put it in order. I find various bills that need paying, so I make some initial phone calls to the water and electricity companies explaining the situation. I make an appointment for the vendor and me to meet with the CAB debt worker, so we can work out the best course of action. He says he feels like a massive weight has been lifted.
3.30PM A VISIT
I then make a couple of calls to vendors in Leamington Spa – I visit the Salvation Army there once a fortnight on a Friday to meet with our vendors. I make an appointment to do a review with a vendor, to discuss his sales, and to talk about how to move forward with his drug treatment. I assemble the paperwork I need for my visit, and make a phone call to the Salvation Army team to work out the best contacts to make in the drug treatment team, to make sure he gets the best person available to work with.
5PM A STOP-OFF
Another busy day at the office ends with me cycling past our co-ordinator, checking he’s got enough magazines to sell to the city centre vendors this evening, before I make my way home.
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‘I FELT DEGRADED. I WANTED MY IDENTITY BACK’ Five years ago, Mick came to The Big Issue to move his life on. His determination to succeed in the face of adversity is an inspiration to all I HIT THE LOWEST POINT of my life five years ago; I was sleeping rough under a canal bridge in Birmingham. Two friends died that year, they were very vulnerable. I thought to myself enough was enough, I had to get back on track. I felt degraded and I wanted to get my identity back. I wanted to be Mick rather than miserable. I came to The Big Issue and met the staff – they have helped me with the problems through thick and thin. The pitch I work on in Birmingham is in the Jewellery Quarter and is a massive part of my life. I absolutely love it here. I have built up my own family. Everybody knows my name and I recognise a lot of faces. Some people come to me with their problems, but one girl came up to me last week and told me she
had just got engaged. She gave me a hug and we both wished each other good luck in the future. It is one of the perks of the job to have this network of support. The next six months are going to be massive for me – in June I travel to see my mum overseas, I have not seen her for 27 years. The Big Issue Foundation have helped me get a passport to do this. My family got split up a long time ago due to social services – I hated them for what they did to my family, it wasn’t my mum’s fault, it was just the way things were then. They asked my mum to choose one child out of my brothers and sisters, it shattered us. Talking about this does make me shed tears. I have a lot of thinking to do until then. I do feel happier though: I survived and I am proud of that.
TOM BELTE, SERVICE BROKER, ON VENDOR MICK As a support service in Birmingham we can do a lot with a small team to support our vendors; the team tries to bring bespoke and sustainable guidance to each vendor by managing a vital support model to Big Issue vendors so they can be safe, secure and ready to move on as they continue to create their own earnings. We have to work hard. Vendors such as Mick work hard and it’s a
symbiotic relationship. Positivity out of hardship comes in many forms in this office – Mick got a passport but he got a chance to keep on moving upwards in his life, to find peace with his past but also to find a future. Vendors like Mick, and their stories, are the most important part of our job. It is incredible what can be achieved by our vendors with the right mindset and the right help.
THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p6 / SPRING 2015
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THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p7 / SPRING 2015
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PHOTOGRAPHER: MAGNUS ARREVAD
PUT THE BEST FOOT FORWARD The Big Night Walk is fast becoming a legendary event, and this year’s was perhaps the most special yet with surprise guests, film crews, bands, and a certain street cat...
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RIDAY MARCH 6 was a special night. Over 350 people gathered at the offices of law firm Freshfields, just off Fleet Street in London, for the start of the Big London Night Walk 2015. Walkers and volunteers, Big Issue Foundation staff, Big Issue vendors, journalists, film crews and the wonderful James and Street Cat Bob were there as the excitement started to build in advance of the 20km walk. Registration opened 15 minutes early when individuals and teams were
welcomed in to take advantage of the refreshments that Freshfields had laid on for the event. There was music, the film The Truth About Stanley playing in the auditorium, and a great team of volunteers mingling and making sure that everyone was happy and ready for the off. The group gathered together in the firm’s atrium for speeches. Stephen Robertson, chief executive of The Big Issue Foundation, reminded everyone why we were there, and why we were walking
at night. The experience of walking the streets would help us to understand the challenge faced by many new to rough sleeping. “Keeping walking through the exhaustion is preferable to the danger of bedding down in the dark,” he explained. Juliet from Freshfields explained their support for the Foundation and handed over to Viv, a former vendor who had sold the magazine on a Corporate Placement in Freshfields’ restaurant and is now working full-time as a walking tour guide. Minutes later, the countdown began and the leading wave of walkers were on their way to the first stop, Shoreditch Town Hall. Here, they were greeted by vendors George, Paul and Kev, along with Foundation staff member Alan and a team of volunteers. Shoreditch Town Hall was the setting for a view of the charity’s connection to street artists such as Stik, with pieces displayed by five artists. Metcalfe’s provided the popcorn snacks, and George described it as “a party atmosphere”. He was a fantastic advocate for the walk and The Big Issue when he spoke about it on BBC World Service on Sunday morning. Next it was on to Waterloo where the walkers were met by the serenity of the
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THANK YOUS Thank you each organisation and person who made the night a success: Freshfields, our sponsor and brilliant hosts at the start and finish All of the vendors from London who walked or hosted at rest stops The 50+ volunteers who took time out to support the event, some till 6am! All of the venues: Shoreditch Town Hall, St John’s Church, Waterloo and Central London Samaritans, who ensured walkers had a welcome break
" walking the
streets helps you understand the challenges faced by rough sleepers " beautiful St John’s Church and the wonderful energising singing of the Adam Street Singers. They got the walkers involved in their performance with some rousing tunes. Vendors Steve, Ben, Pat and William welcomed walkers and made them feel at home, offering plantain chips from Grace Foods and 9bars. Vauxhall was just 15 minutes walk along the river from there, where walkers stopped at The Big Issue. After being directed in by volunteers and marshalls Viv, Simon and Matt, along with staff member Emma, everyone got a warm welcome, and learned a little about The Big Issue. Amazing cookies from Double Tree by London Hilton Westminster were the special treat at this stop! By the time the last walkers were at
Vauxhall, the first had already finished. The fastest time was just 3 hours 30mins, but the remaining walkers kept walking on, determined to reach the fourth stop and press on to the finish. Thanks to the positivity of Central London Samaritans, our fourth stop gave walkers the final push to the finish line. Andre, Brian and Amy stepped up the few flights of stairs to the balloon-filled meeting room and chatted to walkers from 1–4am. Snacks here were provided by Urban Fruit, a tasty treat for walkers for the final stretch and beyond! The final walkers, Ann and Liz, eventually crossed the line with vendors Simon and Matt, who had joined from Vauxhall at 4.55am, just in time to enjoy the final tray of bacon rolls!
James and Street Cat Bob, whose every appearance sent a ripple of excitement through the crowd! Our photographers and film crew, Andy Commons – www.andycommonsimages.com – Dean Porter, Gisele Ryan and Richard Reed The Adam Street Singers www.adamstreetsingers.com Ringwood School sixth-form and teachers from near Bournemouth Big Issue in Bournemouth staff Carly and Simon & vendor Bill who joined us Sandy and Sky, the first a friendly ferret, the second perhaps the most adored dog on the walk! Fair events management – thank you Rob and Alan. www.wearethefair.com
We were delighted to hear so much positive feedback on the night and are looking forward to hosting the event again in 2016. Please register your interest at www.bigissue.org.uk/ walk if you would like to join us!
All the companies who donated prizes and refreshments Our amazing volunteer Andy for all her help
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ALL BEING WELL There is one aim of the Big Issue Foundation’s health week and that is to prioritise the wellbeing of vendors. Not easy, but focusing an individual on their health can be the first step on a journey away from the streets
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AST NOVEMBER saw the return of The Big Issue Foundation’s annual Health Week. The 2014 Health Week ran from November 3-8 across 10 cities with over 300 vendors participating. We deliver a week of activities with the overriding aim of improving, promoting and encouraging physical and mental health and wellbeing among Big Issue vendors. At the start of the week, we conducted a health survey with our vendors to ensure that the programme was relevant to their needs and to ensure sessions were fun, interactive and informative. The survey was completed by 139 vendors and revealed health problems such as heart conditions, asthma, diabetes, arthritis, epilepsy, sciatica and other back problems and many with mental-health difficulties such as depression. Fifty-four per cent of vendors surveyed revealed they had problems with their teeth. On the subject of “expectations of being happy”, the survey also identified the importance of being happy, and how being happy is similar to being healthy. Our attitudes towards life in general, and the satisfaction we get, contribute to our happiness and health. Perhaps the most surprising finding was that although most vendors expect to be extremely happy in the future, 19 of them expected to be on the scale of unhappiness, exposing how vendors really feel about their own lives. When asked “what does healthy mean to you?” many vendors related this to healthy eating and the feeling of happiness. One answer was simply, “life”, another answered, “everything, it’s the most important thing, it means I can wake up and do things.” Many participating centres offered health checkups and screenings to assess physical health needs and access to primary care. These checkups were
particularly helpful in identifying vendors who had no dentist or GP, and many of them were offered immediate support to register. Around 30 vendors received a flu jab, and more went on to receive a jab after registering with a GP. Following his flu jab by the Lambeth Primary Care Trust, one new vendor in London was referred to a local GP service, and also to mental health support services. This is an example where accessing one service can lead to help and support in identifying and managing other health needs. Crucial dental services were provided up
" the vendor
surve y showed that being happy is simil ar to being he althy "
and down the country, with the NHS Tooth Bus in Bournemouth and Southampton, NHS Smile For Life in Edinburgh, and Smiles mobile dental team in Nottingham; all offering vendors dental checks, hygiene advice and referrals. One vendor from Bournemouth who hadn’t braved the dentist’s in 15 years finally took the plunge. All health checkups were supported by free health packs providing useful information leaflets, and essential items such as gloves, hats, tissues, soap, healthy snack bars, toothbrushes, toothpaste and emergency rain ponchos. Mental health was addressed in the form of various creative workshops and discussions designed to build confidence, address emotional wellbeing and give vendors the opportunity to talk about their experience of mental health. In Edinburgh, they had a session of Laughter Yoga, where vendors combined eye contact, childlike playfulness and laughter exercises in a group situation, and soon fake laughter quickly became very real, contagious
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also provided by the Woodlands Community Garden in Glasgow, where they demonstrated how to make a super-healthy minestrone soup at minimal cost. The clear theme that underpinned all activities throughout the week was enabling vendors to identify health needs and learn how to access appropriate services. For many of our vendors, health services are only accessed in times of crisis. The Big Issue Foundation exists to connect vendors with the vital support and personal solutions to enable them to rebuild their lives, to determine their own pathways to a better, healthier and happier future, and this involves getting help and support when you need it.
"a cle ar theme
was helping vendors get help for he alth needs " around the uk EDINBURGH One vendor, Christian, was in a very poor housing situation. He uses a wheelchair and the temporary accommodation he was in was not wheelchair-accessible. After speaking to housing officers at a Health Week event, Big Issue staff were able to help that situation. Christian’s housing was changed the next day – this was a result of the efforts of Big Issue staff, but the extra push made by the housing officer from the Health Week event definitely allowed for real progress.
"an important issue for us is to address drug and alcohol addiction issues " laughter. The Minerva Centre in Bath offered reflexology sessions that were so popular they plan to have many more in the future. Another important issue for us to address that week was drug and alcohol addiction issues among our vendors, as they can be destructive, exacerbate other health problems and block progress in other areas of life. Therefore, almost every region provided support with alcohol and drug-related issues, often through outreach, where vendors felt more comfortable to chat openly about
their issues in this tricky area. SIFA Fireside in Birmingham provided an alcohol drop-in service, Addaction Harm Reduction Service offered harm reduction advice and needle exchange services in Bournemouth, while in Edinburgh, Keep Well (NHS Lothian) provided essential advice on substance misuse. In Bristol, the team indentified an interest in Naloxone-based training in future, which teaches vendors to administer a potentially life-saving antidote in the event of an overdose. All activities during the week were supported with the daily provision of free, healthy breakfasts, which was generously supported by sponsors such as Prêt a Manger. Several offices offered healthy eating and cooking sessions, which was an excellent opportunity for us to engage vendors in other activities. Southampton showed vendors how to cook healthy foods on a budget; Bath gave vendors the chance to try out their omelette-cooking skills, and offered a blind tasting session. Support was
BRISTOL Rob, a brand-new vendor, engaged with almost every activity during Health Week and seemed to benefit from many. He has also managed to save up his Health Week rewards for an electronic cigarette, which he thinks will really help to reduce his tobacco intake and may even enable him to stop smoking altogether. NOTTINGHAM Tom has been homeless for a number of years and has alcohol issues, which can impact on his memory. Tom has found it difficult to engage with mainstream services and currently is not in touch with alcohol services. He attended the alcohol drop-in and he arranged for a liver-function test, a general MOT with his GP, and agreed to speak to his GP about getting vitamins. Tom knew the alcohol worker at Health Week so he said he felt okay about getting in contact if he changed his mind about accessing services. Tom also attended the Healthy Eating session and engaged really well with it, coming up with loads of recipe ideas and asking lots of questions.
THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p11 / SPRING 2015
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY OUR LOCAL TEAMS ARE VITAL IN WORKING WITH VENDORS ON A PERSONAL LEVEL TO STABILISE THEIR LIVES AND TO MOVE FORWARD BATH AND BRISTOL
In the last three months, the teams in Bath and Bristol have been on a push for new volunteers. Our efforts have been worth it as we now have an expanded team of helpers who bring different talents and expertise to support our work. This additional support enables us to do so much more to support our vendors and also provides a chance for volunteers to develop their own skills and experience. Our current volunteers are pretty diverse. We have a student with us from America as part of a study programme; someone seeking more experience to help with their job search and to find out if a career in the sector is right for them; a semi-retired volunteer who has free time and wants to contribute to the community in some way; we also have two new volunteer co-ordinators who are themselves volunteers and are specifically focused on helping us manage this fantastic additional support.
LONDON
With increasing numbers of rough sleepers in London we are currently expanding our service brokerage team
to increase the reach to our vendors and make more meaningful contacts to support our self-help ethos. With significant demand on support services in London it is increasingly difficult for vendors to access local authority support via day centres and hostels and it becomes increasingly necessary for individuals to consider other options. We are hopeful that our model, which gives individuals a greater opportunity to take control of their lives and work their way out of poverty, will appeal to this increased number of rough sleepers. Our new outreach Service Broker will be looking to extend our reach to vendors who are part of the street community and spread the word about how The Big Issue can help people help themselves.
OXFORD
In Oxford, we’ve just put a very generous financial donation to great use! We
received the donation from Oxford Youth group who were doing their National Citizen Service programme. The group had also supported our Health Week by supplying various items to keep our vendors healthy and warm. We saw it fitting to use the financial gift to make our office more welcoming and user-friendly for vendors. We have a large table for workshops and meetings, a lounging area for comfortable vendor-staff discussions and fronted cupboards to hide away cluttering office items. Our office looks great and we sincerely hope that the more comfortable look will help our vendors feel more worthwhile and also encourage the openness of important discussions.
DORSET AND HAMPSHIRE
Bournemouth vendors asked if they were able to give something back to the local community in the form of a sponsorship event. All the vendors were asked what charity they would like to support and
THE VENDORS CHOSE TO DO A SPONSORED BEACH WALK FOR A LOCAL CHILDREN'S HOSPICE THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p12 / SPRING 2015
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THANK YOU TO
A FEW PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS THAT DESERVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU Northern Trust Fold7 Simmons &Simmons Whats OnStage Glenn Hodge Banned
GARY JOHNSON, WHO WAS ON A CORPORATE P L A C E M E N T, H A S B E E N O F F E R E D F U L L-T I M E HOURS AS A CLEANER how they could do this – a beach walk for a local children’s hospice, Julia’s House, was given the thumbs-up. We were joined on the walk by several Ringwood School students and staff who took this opportunity as training for The Big Issue Foundation Night Walk, which over 40 pupils and staff committed to undertake in March (see page 8). The Southampton Service Broker is currently partnership-working with a new commissioned service from CRI, this is a Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service. We are working together with the initial referral to CRI, leading to a joint assertive outreach to target specific Big Issue vendors in the future.
WEST MIDLANDS
Gary Johnson, a vendor who was on a corporate placement at Mondelez International (featured in Winter
Newsletter 2014), has now been offered full-time hours as a cleaner. This job offer came after his six-month placement at Bourneville Place, where he spent six months selling the magazine every Wednesday morning, and which ended with him completing two weeks’ workbased experience with Business In The Community’s Ready For Work Scheme. We now have a new vendor on the placement eager to go for more opportunities and to move forward in the future.
The Big Secret Sound Freshfields All our Big Night Walkers Christopher Timothy Sam and Tom Woodlock Ellie Darton-Moore Long-term volunteers in Bath, Diane and Paul The Oxford Hub Matt Rich and Good Gym for redecorating our Bristol office Chris Onslow
If you have an idea about how you or your business could provide help in your region, find your local office at www.bigissue.org.uk/about-us/ our-offices and feel free to get in touch for a friendly chat.
Oxfordshire Youth Group Mondelez International DoubleTree by Hilton
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THE TWO WORDS THANK AND YOU AREN’T REALLY ENOUGH TO SAY HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR THE UNBELIEVABLE SUPPORT GIVEN TO THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION. BUT HERE GOES. THANK YOU TO...
556
FUNDRAISERS FOR RAISING £136,000 IN THE PAST YEAR
OUR 2265 COMMITTED GIVERS WHO EITHER MONTHLY, QUARTERLY OR ANNUALLY COMMIT TO SUPPORT US. THIS ESSENTIAL INCOME HELPS TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE AND ADDS SECURITY SO WE CAN KEEP ON DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING
1565
DONORS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED US WITH A DONATION IN THE PAST YEAR
TO THE TRUSTS THAT WE WORK WITH AND WHO HAVE SUPPORTED US:
Anson Charitable Trust, Rita and David Slowe Charitable Trust, The Harford Charitable Trust, The John Coates Charitable Trust, The Mary Sinclair Watson Charitable Trust, The Sobell Foundation, The Swire Charitable Trust, The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust, The Vandervell Foundation, The R.U.B White Charitable Trust
WE HAVE ASKED SUPPORTERS LIKE YOURSELVES WHY YOU GIVE, AND HERE ARE SOME HEART-WARMING RESPONSES: “I’m a strong believer in the effectiveness of The Big Issue Foundation’s principles and wish for more people to get a chance to get their lives back on track” “I hope one day everyone will have somewhere to call home”
“I have met three Big Issue vendors at different stages in my life whose characters are forever imprinted on my memory” “We were pleased to make a donation in memory of my brother as The Big Issue
definitely saved the life of my nephew who was a regular vendor in London for many years. After 17 years of being addicted to heroin he has now been clean for five years, has a home and runs his own little business. We are so grateful for the part The Big Issue
played in getting him to where he is now.” Penny Rea, In Memory supporter “I believe in helping homeless organisations who help people help themselves” THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HAND UP.
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I WOULD LIKE TO SET UP A MONTHLY REGULAR GIFT £5
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Please pay The Big Issue Foundation Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with The Big Issue Foundation and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.
Banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.
I WOULD LIKE TO GIFT AID MY DONATION I would like The Big Issue Foundation (TBIF) to reclaim the tax on all qualifying gifts of money I have made in the past, present and for all future donations I make from this day forward until I notify you otherwise. I confirm that I am a UK Tax Payer and that I pay as much income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax to cover the amount that all the charities and CASCs that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for each tax year (6th April to 5th April), currently 25p of tax for every £1 I donate. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify
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TO DONATE ONLINE GO TO WWW.BIGISSUE.ORG.UK/DONATE TO DONATE VIA YOUR MOBILE PLEASE TEXT NEWS44 £10 TO 70077 TO DONATE OVER THE PHONE PLEASE CALL EMMA ON 0207 526 3454
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RETURN ADDRESS
Please return this completed form to our freepost address The Big Issue Foundation, Freepost LONI7469, London, SW8 2BR
01/04/2015 00:41
“ONE DAY I’LL BE BUYING THE BIG ISSUE, NOT SELLING IT”
From having a degree, a solid job, a partner and a house, George found himself living on the streets. But he is determined to find a way out of it with The Big Issue Foundation’s help GEORGE HAS BEEN Selling The Big Issue for two years now; he didn’t expect his life to take this turn, but people rarely do. George used to work for the NHS in Glasgow and has a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology. He managed to build a great life for himself and his partner; they had a good income and bought a detached sandstone house that he thinks of fondly. Sadly, they bought the house at the top of the market – “paid over the odds for it,” he says – and fell into negative equity. His partner left him and he had no choice but to sell. Then his mother became unwell and he needed to pay for her care. George's job in the NHS was becoming removed from patient care and he no longer enjoyed the work. With the passing of his mother, and no longer having the commitment of the house, George looked for other work, and set up his own business editing medical articles written by people whose first language isn’t English. He moved down to London hoping it would be the best base for his business
and job hunt. He went for interviews, but the travel costs ate into the limited savings he had. George's cousin in London, who he was going to live with, was diagnosed with a brain tumour and passed away. This left George on the streets with only a standard sleeping
"HE FOUND HIMSELF O N T H E S T R E E T, W I T H JUST A SLEEPING BAG" bag, “designed to be used inside a tent,” he clarifies. “I wasn’t prepared at all.” George talks of The Big Issue and The Big Issue Foundation as having been “a tremendous help. It put structure back into my life. I was a stranger to London, I didn’t know anyone or anything. The Big Issue provided me with more than just an income: a social network of support, from other vendors and then, increasingly, from my regular customers. That support really is a tremendous advantage; I didn’t feel isolated anymore.”
Following two years of good sales, George has recently taken over the position of Franchisee, distributing magazines to our Liverpool Street-based London vendors. He will still be selling magazines on his usual pitch, outside the BBC offices first thing in the morning, but he then goes to Liverpool Street to provide support to the 40 or so vendors who sell in the area. And there’s another new opportunity for George: one day a week he is selling the magazine in the staff restaurant in Northern Trust, a bank based in Canary Wharf. There, he is following in the footsteps of Ron, a vendor who was their first in-house Big Issue seller. George is focused on growing a business, and he knows that selling The Big Issue will help him give it the time it needs to grow. Selling at Northern Trust, he will not just get a boost to his sales but also the support of a mentor and some professional guidance that will help him to improve his website and digital marketing. He says: “I am looking forward to the day when I will be buying The Big Issue rather than selling it.”
THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p16 / SPRING 2015
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