TBIF Winter Newsletter 2019

WINTER NEWSLETTER 2019

INCR EDIBL E JOUR NE Y

THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p1 / WINTER 2019

CEO COLUMN WINTER 2019

WINTER NEWSLETTER 2019

CONTENTS Partnerships Prove Just The Job 03 How we help homeless people find help and support News From Around The Country 04 Settled Status, language skills and inclusion Issues Of The Day 08 The crisis of homelessness in numbers Better By Design 09 The Big Issue Foundation plan for the next three years Incredible Journey (cover story) 10 One man's search for love, work and stability Rise To The Challenge 12 How would you fare selling The Big Issue?

Joint Ventures 14 People do the craziest things while raising funds Best Foot Forward 16 Walking London by night in honour of vendors Star Turns 18 The celebrities helping us help Big Issue vendors In The Hot Seat 20 From the streets to the fire service - an amazing story

Rise To The Challenge 12

WWW.BIGISSUE.ORG.UK/NEWSLETTERS Photography by Magnus Arrevad (p1,10-11), Sean Malyon (p6), Marcus Jamieson-Pond (p16-17) 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 Twitter: @TBIF Facebook: /TheBigIssueFoundation Instagram: @thebigissuefoundation LinkedIn: The Big Issue Foundation Registered Charity No. 1049077 UNSUBSCRIBE INFO: If you wish to unsubscribe from our postal newsletters please call 0207 526 3458 or email foundation@bigissue.com

Welcome to our Winter newsletter. In these slim pages we celebrate the spirit and endeavour of ‘work’. ‘Work’ not just in the sense of a job and a wage but ‘work’ as a sense of purpose, of personal change and a means of overcoming adversity and moving forward.

The Big Issue magazine is unique in that it creates the opportunity for excluded people across the land to work and earn; an alternative to crime, begging, misfortune and more. It is the first step that many embark upon to establish control and alter the course they are taking.

At The Big Issue Foundation, we understand that each step forward is significant for every vendor. We do not dictate the direction of travel or the process of change that someone wishes to achieve. We listen, we share insight, we guide when asked and we collaborate with expert agencies and advisors to help make these journeys possible. We share a mission to create opportunities for change. The Big Issue magazine is the first step, we are the second.

Former vendor Dariusz, this edition’s featured cover story, is now in full-time employment with Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics.

His journey includes a difficult past, English classes, a pair of new glasses (and finally no headaches), an alcohol treatment programme, help with his CV, covering letter and interview preparation. We helped Dariusz with this all while he was working selling The Big Issue – teamwork indeed!

It is important to talk about graft; real lives and real achievements. We helped Emma in London access funding to train and take professional qualifications to become a security guard; Glynn in Bath to use the structure of selling the magazine to stabilise himself, open a bank account and to begin accepting contactless payments alongside cash; and Eleanora in Birmingham to manage her work around her family commitments and support her family’s successful application for ‘Settled Status’.

‘Homelessness’ can be indiscriminatory and our frontline teams work tirelessly to tackle the many complex and distressing manifestations of exclusion that we see in today’s society.

We must also say "thank you"; thank you to our wonderful supporters, Big Issue readers and believers one and all. Your generous donations, workplace collections, nights sleeping outside and walking the streets all count, all create change and help fund new futures.

Our plan is to increase the support that we can offer to Big Issue vendors. We need to grow our team and reach out to new parts of the country – to be there for whoever we can, wherever we can, whenever we can.

And when we think of the future it is also important to think of the past. The final page of our newsletter features the amazing story of Sabrina Cohen-Hatton. As a young woman she slept rough on the streets of Newport in Wales for two years and sold The Big Issue magazine. Today she is the Chief Fire Officer of West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, a psychologist and a writer. She has recently become an ambassador for all things Big Issue and is proud to endorse how it saved and changed her life.

So, as the winter nights draw in and our challenges change, grow and persist, I hope this newsletter shows just a little of the impact we have been able to make in the past and in the present.

Thank you on every level for whatever support you have been able to offer. Please do join us in shaping the future.

Stephen Robertson, Chief Executive, The Big Issue Foundation

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PARTNERSHIPS PROVE JUST THE JOB

WE HELP VENDORS FIND SERVICES THAT SUPPORT THEM, INCLUDING A CROWDFUNDING PLATFORM HELPING PEOPLE FIND EMPLOYMENT

I

n London we have been focusing on promoting financial inclusion. Through this initiative we have helped vendors gain ID and open bank accounts. We have supported 50 vendors to purchase and set up card readers so they can take contactless payments to support additional magazine sales.

We have also been running weekly EU settlement workshops in collaboration with Migrant Help and are currently supporting six vendors through the process.

We have referred our first vendor to Beam (see Vendor Spotlight) and Emma has successfully passed her exams and is working with Beam to secure mainstream employment.

We have also partnered with Only a Pavement Away to offer employment opportunities within the hospitality sector – they work with a large range of employers including the Savoy Hotel.

We are working with Reboot UK and Good Things Foundation to promote digital literacy and through the Vendor Support Fund we have been able to assist with the purchase of over 10 mobile phones. We are now preparing for the Winter months and look forward to increasing our sheltered pitches throughout London.

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT – EMMA

We are delighted to be working with Beam to support vendors into employment.

Beam is a referral-only crowdfunding platform that exclusively supports new career opportunities for homeless men and women. Beam

BEAM PROVIDES HOMELESS PEOPLE WITH A SUPPORT NETWORK provides them with a support network, from support specialists to the kind strangers who fund their campaigns.

We are so happy that our first referral, Emma, has not only had her training funded but has passed all her courses. In October, Emma began to apply for her SIA license to become a security guard and she also received a laptop (gifted by Uber) so she can begin to search for jobs online.

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"When I came to the UK 11 years ago I wanted to have a fresh start. Things started to get difficult when my job wasn’t paying enough for me to keep up with rent and I ended up sleeping rough. I was on the streets for a long time and it was during this time that I started working for The Big Issue to try and change my situation.”

Since becoming a Big Issue vendor we have supported Emma on her journey to get her life back on track. Emma secured temporary accommodation in a female-only night shelter and is currently working with a local service for a more permanent and affordable solution. Emma was also part of the iZettle pilot scheme and increased her sales by accepting contactless payment.

"Work is very important to me and after working as a Big Issue vendor I’m ready to build on the skills I learnt and start a new chapter in my life! Doing the security training will mean that I can move out of the night shelter and into my own place. It would mean so much to finally have this independence and somewhere I can call home."

We will continue to support Emma on her journey to future employment and we are very excited to follow her on her journey beyond The Big Issue.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY OUR WORK CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON ISSUES AROUND BREXIT, HELPING PEOPLE WITH LANGUAGE SKILLS, AND FINANCIAL INCLUSION

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NOTTINGHAM It’s been a busy month in Nottingham

where we also had a new member of staff starting. David has experience from across the sector and is doing a great job in supporting our vendors, including the many vendors looking to purchase contactless card readers before the Christmas rush.

We’ve arranged for drop-in sessions at the office with Migrant Help – they come every Monday to help vendors to apply for Settled Status. The member of staff from Migrant Help has an app on his phone which puts him directly through to translators, which has been a big help.

We liaised with different organisations such as Broxtowe Youth Homelessness Centre, Emmanuel House, Housing Aid, CT Skills, Law Centre and others to further support Big Issue vendors.

We’ve been expanding into areas such as Leicester and Lincoln (giving us the opportunity to work closely with our Sales and Operations colleagues); we have been discussing with vendors how The Big Issue Foundation can help them, and have already started looking at how we can help get a mobility scooter for a vendor who otherwise would be struggling to keep his independence.

We supported one vendor to sell The Big Issue at a concert in Derby using his

LUKE MATTHEWS UNSPLASH

new contactless card reader. Not only did he have a great night of sales and sold all his magazines, he was able to meet the band and was given some souvenirs of the night! He came to the office the next morning with a much-needed smile on his face.

WE ALSO RAN AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE SPECIFIC TO 'OPPORTUNITIES'

BIRMINGHAM In Birmingham, we have a new member

of staff. Andy has experience from across the sector and has just returned to working for The Big Issue in Birmingham after being away for just over 20 years!

In the city we liaised with Migrant Help and arranged drop-in sessions, to support our vendors with their Settled/ Pre-Settled status applications. The vendors received support, not only with their application but also to access the necessary documentation. This is a service which has been very popular with our vendors, and the support that Migrant Help have offered has been gratefully received by all the vendors who have accessed their services, so much so that this is still ongoing.

We also ran an Opportunities Project this quarter, which was well received.

We organised activities and workshops to help vendors make informed choices regarding their education, training, employment needs and progression for the future; we also ran an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) session specific to ‘Opportunities’. We raised awareness of and strengthened our networks with organisations such as Crisis, Sifa, Fircroft College, Law for Life, Trident and also Pret A Manger– who kindly supplied us with snacks for the vendors to enjoy.

WE HELPED ONE VENDOR SELL THE B I G I S S U E AT A CONCERT IN DERBY We also worked closely with Birmingham Changing Futures, where our vendors were able to feed back on their services and experiences of accessing them.

Birmingham Changing Futures Together is a project funded by the National Lottery Community Fund to provide better support to those with multiple and complex needs. They are pioneering new ways of working, with services

VENDOR STORIES ELEONORA, BIRMINGHAM “I first came across The Big Issue after someone from the church told me about it. I was looking for work, but my English wasn’t good, so it was hard to find a job.

Me and my husband came into the Birmingham office and we started selling. I had a two-year gap when I gave birth to my fifth child and my mother was poorly but it’s now been eigh years since I first started selling in Birmingham.

The team in Birmingham have always been really friendly and supportive. They referred me and my husband to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes and we learned to speak English. As a result, my husband has now moved on into other employment.

For me, selling The Big Issue works perfectly because I have childcare commitments and being able to choose my own hours offers the flexibility I need. I earn enough money from selling the magazine to buy food and essential items in the house for me and my family. I don’t need much, and I am happy with what I’ve got.

To sell The Big Issue is not easy, especially when you need to stand in the rain, in the heat or when you face racism or bullying. But on the other hand, on my pitch I’ve met nice people who made me feel welcome and appreciated. I enjoy selling The Big Issue and I am grateful for all the support that The Big Issue Foundation has given us.”

GABRIELA SIMA, WEST MIDLANDS TEAM LEADER I’ve been working with Eleonora for a while now. She first started selling The Big Issue back in June 2011.

led by those with lived experience, using innovative technology and close partnerships with specialist agencies across the city to provide a faster, better informed and more unified approach to support.

We were also available to facilitate an outreach session with Experts by Experience. What we felt was really important was that the Experts may have been in similar situations at some point to some of the vendors and THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p5 / WINTER 2019

Even though her English is improving she still needs our support. Being an EU citizen, she had to apply for Settled Status. We referred Eleonora to Migrant Help to support with her application. She had to provide evidence that she lives and works in the UK along with the correct accompanying documents.

The end result was Eleonora and her family being granted Settled Status, which was brilliant for all.

We recently assisted Eleonora to set up a manageable instalment plan for an outstanding debt after the bailiffs visited her home. We made arrangements for the amount to be paid by direct debit and put in place a budgeting plan to ensure Eleonora will always have enough money in her account to pay the instalments.

Eleonora needed to apply for passports for her and her children.

The application process required an internet connection and an email address which she doesn’t have access to. We created an email address for her and have helped her to complete the online application.

A photo ID is essential these days and will open up many new opportunities for Eleonora and her family.

that they have used their experiences to help others and there is the chance for our vendors to do this when they are ready, too.

In addition to all the work being done with the vendors in Birmingham, we’ve also conducted outreach sessions to Worcester, Shrewsbury and Leamington, maintaining contact with all the vendors that sell in those areas, as well as the agencies that support them.

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VENDOR STORIES

GLYNN WEIR – BATH HIGH STREET

BATH Here in Bath and Wiltshire over the last

few months we’ve had a huge uptake in the use of card machines. Last week our vendor in Marlborough accessed the Vendor Support Fund to get his new SumUp machine. The SumUp machine is a card reader that has its own internet which means a vendor can begin to take contactless payments for the magazine without having to wait to obtain a smartphone or tablet. This new way to pay will help him increase his sales – especially in the run-up to Christmas!

In Bath, a number of our vendors are dog owners and we’ve had fantastic experiences signing up vendors to the Dog’s Trust Hope Project to get free veterinary care. Dogs who are part of the scheme are entitled to free flea and

DOGS ARE ENTITLED TO F R E E T R E AT M E N T S , VA C C I N AT I O N S , NEUTERING AND MICROCHIPPING

“I’ve been working really hard selling the magazine the last couple of years now. I’ve got lots of great customers that keep me going throughout the day with cups of tea and coffee.

I see it as a new start after a really rough past few years. I was homeless for a time and have also got a metal hip and a bit of metal in my wrist after a bad fall from a three-story building.

It was something like a near-death experience, but I’ve recovered well since then thanks to The Big Issue.

It gives me a bit of structure and provided a foundation from which I’ve slowly been rebuilding my life.

It’s given me enough to buy some clothes and keep myself going. If I can keep my sales up and get some normality back, long-term I’d like to set up my own caravan business.

I stayed in a caravan for a while; moving from site to site in Somerset.

I grew up in this part of the world, and in recent years tended to move from town to town and hostel to hostel. I’d like to settle in Bath. It’s a lovely city with plenty of tourists that come here for the Roman Baths, Abbey and all the Georgian buildings.

The one thing I miss most is fishing. My stepdad used to take me fishing in a few places just north of Bath before I ended up in care. It was a great thing, just to sit there for hours and enjoy the peace and quiet.

I’d love to find some of those spots again. I suppose it would be a sign of getting back to normal life.

In the meantime, I’m determined to keep working hard and out of

worming treatments, vaccinations, neutering and microchipping. Dogs Trust will also fund most additional necessary treatments that the dogs may need. Chris and his terrier Mac have recently used his Hope Project membership to sort out one of Mac’s teeth so he can chomp freely on his dental sticks!

BRISTOL We have had a busy few months here in

the Bristol office, with a lot of positive new partnerships created for the vendors.

We initiated a partnership with WEA, an adult education provider who are now THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p6 / WINTER 2019

trouble. I feel I’ve been given a second chance at life, and I’m determined to take it”.

Geo Leonard, Bath Service Broker, says: Glynn has come a long way since he first started selling The Big Issue back in 2016. He has built up a good customer base and with the regular income generated from his magazine sales has been able to keep ahead of the service charge on his supported housing in Bath.

Glynn’s big goal this year has been to get a passport. Photo ID opens many doors. We applied to the Vendor Saver Fund and Glynn was able to get his passport a month later. Now he enjoys greater independence and is able to do more for himself.

Glynn has also recently started looking after his mum’s dog Chloe.

Taking on the responsibility of a dog has helped Glynn build structure in his life and provided some much welcome companionship in his accommodation. It’s also improved the budgeting of his Big Issue earnings to ensure Chloe’s voracious appetite is always catered for!

DORSET AND HAMPSHIRE We are now a member of Bournemouth

Christchurch Poole Homelessness Action Collaborative, a multi-agency charity based in Bournemouth working together to tackle homelessness. As part of this, we will have influence in the direction of their work and specific projects, particularly the diverted giving campaign ‘ChangeForGood’ which will enable us to access local funds and influence the collaborative homeless strategy.

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running regular weekly ESOL classes for our non-English speaking vendors. These have been well attended each week and we have a new round of sessions starting again.

We have also created links with St Paul's Advice Centre, who are running monthly drop-in sessions for EU national vendors who need to make an application for EU Settled Status. The first session ran a few weeks ago and we were able to submit several applications.

We have also made links with North Bristol Food Bank and we are now able to provide food bank vouchers as we are a registered distributor.

We attended the Bristol Annual Recovery Festival, where we were able to link with other related service providers and distribute and promote the Bristol Sleep Out, a fundraising event organised

by Bristol Homeless Forum. We had supporters there on the night raising funds to support vendors in Bristol.

Earlier in the year we approached the probation service at the City Gate Hub in Bournemouth to propose working together and support prison leavers by attending their monthly drop-in service.

The service has several agencies who attend all with the same purpose to support prison leavers facing poverty.

Many people leaving prison have no fixed abode, little to no money and are facing immediate hardship. From Monday 30 October, we will be attending the monthly drop-in services.

We have recently established a partnership with Dentaid, a charity that works to improve oral health and increase access to safe, sustainable dental care. They will provide a one-off free dental service that vendors can access and hopefully – funding permitted – this may turn into a regular service.

AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF ENCOURAGEMENT PA U L H A S F I N A L LY BEEN TO THE DENTIST Nine vendors in the Dorset and Hants area have been granted EU Settled Status with the support of our team. We will continue to inform and advise vendors regarding the EU Settlement Scheme and hope to gain more positive outcomes.

OXFORD Two vendors have progressed to

employment after difficult journeys. Both experienced relationship breakdowns leading to subsequent drug use. They were signposted to The Big Issue by other vendors and became vendors themselves. Through vending, they gained stability and routine which allowed them to become clean of drugs THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p7 / WINTER 2019

and to maintain accommodation. The Big Issue Foundation supported job searches and applications, signposting to external network support.

We collaborated with local network charities to support another vendor to relocate to work in a different area. Yet, when he turned up to his tenancy, he had discovered the accommodation was a scam. While looking for a tenancy, he spent his savings on B&Bs to allow him to work, until he could no longer afford to stay. Returning to homelessness, he came back to us, voicing with conviction: “If I can do it once, twice … I can do it again.”

Paul is a well-established longerterm vendor who held a fear of dentists, originating from childhood; after eight years of persistent encouragement and reassurance, Paul finally took the step to see the dentist. This month, after he has had dentures fitted, Paul has shown us his lovely new smile!

Nationwide Vendor Survey 2019

As part of our Opportunities themed project we ran a survey with vendors to see how we could improve!

Although over 85% of vendors are happy selling The Big Issue, over 90% of vendors have aspirations to move on – even if they aren't sure what they want to do yet.

To support as many vendors as possible to achieve this aspiration we also asked questions about what they felt were their biggest barriers to work (health and housing) in an effort to see how we can improve our services for vendors.

We also asked what further skills or training they felt would most benefit them to enable us to guide our future work and partnerships.

I S S U E S O F T H E D AY The Big Issue was first launched in 1991 in response to the growing number of rough sleepers on the streets of London and a shared belief that the key to solving the homelessness issue lay in helping people to help themselves.

Nearly 30 years on, the nature of poverty and

financial and social exclusion has changed dramatically but the same old symptoms of homelessness, of mental ill health, addiction and trauma still persist.

Currently, some of the biggest societal challenges facing Big Issue vendors in 2019 include:

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BETTER BY DESIGN

In putting together a new Three Year Strategy we have looked at what we do well and how vendors can help us shape the process

C

omposition of our threeyear strategy, ‘Dismantling Poverty, Creating Opportunity’ (2019-22) has been informed by many different voices.

The process began by working with Applied Predictive Technology (APT) to undertake a ‘data dive’ of our database to gain a deeper understanding of the range, complexity and changing support needs of Big Issue vendors over the last decade. This was followed by commissioning JH Consultancy to conduct an independent evaluation of our Service Brokerage model that identified notable areas of strength, weakness and impact while making key action-based recommendations for future service development.

Both reports – together with the feedback of our staff and 300+ health, housing, financial and other specialist agencies that we work in partnership with – will be paramount to achieving our overarching objective over the next three years of providing ‘expert information, advice and guidance and a universality of financial and social support’ to Big Issue vendors UK wide.

Underpinning these ambitions will be a commitment to the following five strategic goals:

1.VENDOR ENGAGEMENT

Our work will remain led by the needs and ambitions of Big Issue vendors. We believe that personal choice creates

journeys away from poverty and exclusion. We will achieve this by: •Focusing our efforts on early intervention and ongoing assessment from our offices and on vendors’ street pitches.

•Putting Big Issue vendors at the centre of our service development through consultation and first-hand involvement in the design, delivery, feedback and future shape of our service offer.

•Expanding the reach and impact of our financial inclusion tools such as the Vendor Support Fund.

•Investing charitable funding in response to vendor need.

3. SCALABILITY

Expanding the reach of Service Brokerage in response to the local needs of Big Issue vendors in current and new regions. We will achieve this by: •Investing charitable funding to increase the capacity of our existing frontline teams to reduce ‘stretch’ and ensure early intervention opportunities are maximised.

•Reviewing opportunities to move into new regions such as East Anglia and Devon & Cornwall where The Big Issue Foundation doesn’t currently have a presence.

4. PARTNERSHIP WORKING

Big Issue vendors face a host of complex housing, health and financial issues. We will continue to work collaboratively with a wide range of 300+ health, housing and other specialist organisations to ensure vendors always receive the service most appropriate to their individual support needs. We will achieve this by: •Ensuring our service offering continues to complement rather than duplicate the current provision of partners; guaranteeing that we remain responsive and flexible to the changing support needs of Big Issue vendors.

•Continuing to innovate and adapt services to modern-day opportunities, including financial inclusion and the cashless society.

UNDERPINNING OUR AMBITIONS IS A COMMITMENT TO FIVE S T R AT E G I C G O A L S 5. BEST PRACTICE 2. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

We will continue to improve the flexible service offering we provide for Big Issue vendors, measuring our impact and reflecting upon our learning to ensure our actions match our sentiments. We will achieve this by: •Investing in a new database enabling our frontline teams to more effectively understand the support needs of Big Issue vendors and chart their personal journeys of change towards financial stability and social inclusion.

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We will ensure that our charitable work is supported by exemplary levels of governance and in compliance with all relevant regulatory and statutory bodies. We will achieve this by: •Independent evaluation of our services to impartially demonstrate the impact they have on the lives of Big Issue vendors.

•Continuing to ensure compliance with the official Fundraising Regulatory body and GDPR regulations in theory and in practice.

•Investing in ongoing staff training and development for all our team members and Trustees.

IN C RE D I BL E J O U R NE Y

Dariusz travelled from Poland looking for work. He went from London to Poole to Portsmouth and finally Bournemouth. Here he discovered The Big Issue, which helped him find sobriety, good health and employment

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y name is Dariusz. I am 53 years old and I was a Big Issue vendor for three and a half years.

I am originally from Gdansk in Poland. Six years ago, I came to the UK for a holiday. I was only meant to stay for two weeks but loved it so much, I never left.

I originally came to London and got a job working in a restaurant. It was something to get me started and I was grateful for the work. However, after only a few months, the restaurant closed down. They offered to transfer me to another branch in Poole and I decided why not!

I relocated to Poole but unfortunately it wasn’t very busy there either so it was a case of last one in, first one out. Someone suggested I would be able to find work in Bournemouth so, once again I packed my bags and moved. I was determined to make my new life in the UK work. I was glad to soon find a job working at a local launderette. The hours were very long, and I often worked 12-14 hours a day. Although not ideal, I was grateful to have a job and be able to earn my way.

In Bournemouth I not only found a job, but I also found love. My partner and I moved in together, sharing the rent but when our relationship broke down, I struggled to pay it all myself. I was already working very long days at the launderette to pay for half the rent. Now that I had to pay it in full myself, I had to use any savings I had to make ends meet. Eventually the savings ran out and I found myself in a dark place. I had previously had a problem with drinking and once again I turned to alcohol to make myself feel better. At the time, it seemed like the only way to cope.

Someone told me about a work opportunity in Portsmouth, so I travelled along the coast in search of a fresh start. I was given a six-month contract working for a car company. It was basic work, servicing cars, but it was a regular income. Unfortunately, they were unable to renew my contract and I was once again

without a job. With no other prospects in Portsmouth, I decided to move back to Bournemouth as that is where I had been happiest.

On returning to Bournemouth I went to see the Salvation Army to see if they could provide any assistance. I have always had a strong work ethic, so begging was never going to be an option for me. I always wanted to earn my way. The Salvation Army told me about The Big Issue. They told me where to find the office and helped me arrange an appointment to get set up as a vendor.

At first it was challenging to sell The Big Issue, and a major barrier was my English. Even though I had been in the UK for a couple of years I still struggled.

The Big Issue Foundation were able to refer me to the AngloContinental School of English where I was able to begin English classes. I understand English quite well now, but I am always trying to improve my speaking.

I also had several health issues as a result of overwork, stress and the constant worry of my situation.

The Big Issue Foundation office on Poole Hill supported me to register with the St Paul’s homeless healthcare centre and access GP and dental services. I’d been getting regular headaches and the GP advised to book an eye test at the optician. I was prescribed new glasses and with the help of the Bournemouth team, I made an application to the Vendor Support Fund to part fund the cost. My application was approved, I got my glasses and very soon my headaches were a thing of the past!

At this time, I also knew I needed to address my relationship with alcohol. It had got so bad that I had ended up in hospital at one point suffering from oxygen deprivation. I was down to 18% with a normal reading typically 95-100%. When it is as serious as that, it can interfere with all the vital organs - heart, lungs and brain function – so I consider myself very fortunate to have suffered no long-term effects.

I had an issue with alcohol back in Poland but had

I FOUND LOVE, BUT WHEN THE R E L AT I O N S H I P BROKE DOWN I STRUGGLED TO PAY T H E R E N T

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sought help because I wanted to be a good father to my son. I stopped drinking for 12 years but then, like I said, started to drink heavily again when all my problems were spiralling out of control. Now I decided it was time to stop drinking for good.

Thanks to a referral by The Big Issue Foundation I was able to access an Addaction treatment programme. Through their treatment programme, I was able to attend therapy for seven weeks. I had a lot to think about and was ready for my life to take a new direction. I am proud to say I have been sober for 18 months now.

Now that I was moving towards a healthier and happier life, I decided it was time to start looking for work. Selling The Big Issue was a stepping stone but I wanted to secure a regular job with guaranteed income. It is becoming harder to earn a living on the high street with less footfall and more people begging and sleeping rough (up 300% in Bournemouth since 2010). Fluctuations in magazine sales from one day to the next can also make it difficult to plan ahead and budget.

I A M P R O U D T O S AY I H AV E B E E N S O B E R FOR EIGHTEEN MONTHS NOW I spoke to the team in the Bournemouth office and they helped me complete a CV and covering letter to hand in to recruitment agencies around town.

Bournemouth council responded and I was able to pick up some seasonal work while continuing to sell the magazine.

Now that I’d got some recent work experience, I decided it was time to look for more permanent work. I came across a position at a cosmetics factory and decided to apply. I was very happy to be offered an interview and was grateful that The Big Issue Foundation helped me with interview practice. It all paid off because I got the job and started in June.

Having a regular job has given me the confidence to know that I am back on track. It is a relief to have set hours and know how much money will be in my pay packet each week. I hope that I will be able to stay in employment now until I retire. Once I have been in this job for a while, I am not sure what line of work I would like to do next. Maybe after my photoshoot today I can become a model, ha ha!

My life could have taken a very different turn at various stages. The Big Issue is a big help for people who face challenges in life that’s for sure.

The staff at The Big Issue don’t judge your circumstances – all ages and backgrounds sell the magazine. They provide an alternative to begging and that is a great thing. I think it is important to support The Big Issue Foundation as they are really helping people who are trying to makes better lives.

I don’t know what the future will hold but I am much happier and stable now thanks to The Big Issue and The Big Issue Foundation.

THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p11 / WINTER 2019

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R I SE TO T H E C H AL L E N G E

Putting on a Big Issue jacket and hitting the street as part of a Big Challenge Day can be a truly eye-opening experience

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ver the summer we facilitated Big Challenge days for staff at Reward Gateway, Simmons & Simmons, Freshfields, Hotels.com, Citi bank, Redington and CloudSense, leading to nearly 200 employees taking part in this transformative experience.

The Big Challenge offers people the opportunity to exchange suits and laptops for a Big Issue jacket and magazine joining Big Issue vendors to sell (in teams) on the streets of London.

Spending a day working alongside Big Issue vendors is an incredibly insightful experience.

Participants discover what it is like to sell the magazine and see first-hand some of the challenges that Big Issue vendors face on a daily basis - learning about their resilience and sales strategies.

Big Issue vendors are tenacious, setting up their micro-enterprises in the midst of real adversity. So as well as raising awareness of the issues surrounding homelessness and poverty, the experience is equally inspiring and humbling.

Set up as "The Apprentice"-style challenge the Big Challenge is a great initiative for motivational team building while honing customer engagement and creative sales techniques, sitting well within the learning and development space. It also meets social and financial inclusion objectives as vendors appreciate the camaraderie as well as the extra sales made during the day.

Many who have taken part comment on how simple human interactions are challenging in our fast paced society – receiving a smile, eye contact or an acknowledgement is viewed as a great achievement by Big Issue vendors. Our digital society also adds to the challenge - with participants more used to connecting online rather than "back to basics" face-to-face interactions with those they do not know. Although this can be daunting initially you see staff grow in confidence throughout the day as they sell the magazine!

Technology, such as headphones and phones are used as tools for disconnection by the public, creating a social barrier to those who wish to connect. As delegates experience this, they may recognise some of their own behaviours and reflect upon this.

Furthermore, we all naturally connect and surround ourselves with people who are like us and that we choose to associate with – this can cause us to live in our own social bubble. Therefore, taking a day out of that bubble or comfort zone and stepping into another world can be a transformational and humbling experience. By donning the red vendor jacket and holding up the magazine, participants are no longer viewed in the same way - they are simply seen as a member of "homeless society" and they face the same challenges and barriers that Big Issue vendors face every day.

BIG ISSUE VENDORS SET UP THEIR MICROENTERPRISES IN THE MIDST OF REAL ADVERSITY

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SUPER SUPPORTERS Enjoying amazing experiences while raising funds for The Big Issue Foundation has seen people climbing mountains at night and jumping out of planes

Earlier this year, Laura joined The Big Issue Foundation as our new Events Manager and has been so excited to see all the weird and wonderful things that people have been up to in the name of fundraising! From husky sledding to cycling Lands End to John O’Groats, copious bake sales to a jolly jingly beards competition and everything in between. You lot have certainly been busy!

We wanted to share with you some of the highlights:

JOE AND JAKE’S STORY

CANOEING “I have always admired the work The Big Issue Foundation does. Myself and my friend Jake were thinking of things we could do to help that were different to the "normal" fundraising ideas, and came up with an idea to canoe 12 miles down the River Severn to raise money and awareness.

We started from Bridgnorth with a day full of sun and breezed down the river! We managed the first seven miles without stopping . The river was mainly gentle but after a wrong turn into some rougher water we slogged through the last 5 miles.

It was all worth it though as we smashed our fundraising target and our LinkedIn posts got a lot of attention – we now hope to make this an annual event."

WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND DECIDED TO CANOE DOWN THE SEVERN

SIAN’S STORY

SKYDIVE "Two years ago I had the privilege of meeting Bill, a Big Issue Vendor who had been homeless for two years. I honestly could not bear going to sleep in the warmth of my bed that night knowing that Bill and thousands of other people weren’t able to have this luxury. I decided to set up a fundraising event as part of my university project in order to raise awareness and money for homeless people just like Bill.

I wasn’t doing the Skydive for the thrill, to tackle my fear of heights or for anything other than to continue

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to create the buzz around what this incredible organisation does. I knew that I needed to help people help themselves. I wanted to remind people that we’re all human and we all deserve a second chance.

The jump itself was absolutely terrifying, I can’t even explain what it is like to freefall out of a plane at 14,000ft. I remember after the parachute was activated and the tumbling through clouds stopped, I managed to gather my thoughts and remind myself the reasons behind why I was doing this and all the people that had kindly donated. It honestly brought a tear to my eye, as well as helping with the sick feeling in my belly! All in all, despite the hard work and months of pushing, I can honestly say this has been one of my proudest moments. "

CHLOE & PAUL’S STORY

SNOWDON

BY NIGHT "After listening to CEO Stephen Robertson talking at an event, I was inspired to take on a challenge for the charity. When I got home, I asked my husband Paul about doing the Snowdon

By Night trek - he immediately said yes, being the proud Welshman that he is!

We signed up and started training in the South Downs where we live, while our friends and families started generously sponsoring us.

When the day came, we gathered as instructed in the grand Victorian hotel at the foot of the mountain in Llanberis, while the beautiful day

turned to sunset and evening. We were told about the climb and what to expect and we were given a meal to fuel us.

We naturally gathered into groups for speed and agility as the fantastic mounters led us up in stages and kept our spirits high. I was happier to be the tortoise than the hare! All I could do was to think of the people the money we were raising was going to help. This was nothing to complain about. Being cold and wet through was nothing compared to their discomfort on a regular basis.

As we descended, dawn started to break. It was absolutely beautiful. The sheep who were asleep when we were climbing up were now waking. I guess they're used to this. It was a beautiful sight and the sounds of the sheep and birds was lovely! I was limping a bit for a while afterwards but a bit of discomfort to raise money for such an important charity makes it very worthwhile."

AS WE DESCENDED, DAWN S TA R T E D T O BREAK – IT WAS A B S O L U T E LY BEAUTIFUL

W H E N T H E PA R A C H U T E A C T I VAT E D I M A N A G E D T O G AT H E R M Y T H O U G H T S A N D REMEMBER WHY I WAS DOING THIS THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p15 / WINTER 2019

BEST FOOT FORWARD

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In March, a group of intrepid nightwalkers experienced the beauty of a London night and raised an amazing £80,000 towards our work

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t’s a cold night in early March and while the clear sky shows no sign of a downpour, there’s a cold chill in the air. Thick socks and thermal layers are doing their best, but it’s the feet that are doing the most – keep walking, keep warm and keep awake. This is the reality for many rough sleepers who often find it safer to walk during the night than lie down and sleep on the streets. For the past 25 years, The Big Issue and the Big Issue Foundation have been offering lifelines away from this life and in 2020, we still need you! The Big Issue Foundation is calling on supporters to join our extra special Big Birthday Night Walk as we turn 25 in 2020.

The Big Night Walk was founded in solidarity with the many Londoners who face the reality of rough sleeping daily. Rough sleeping figures in London are at a record high, according to figures published by the Greater London Authority, with 8,855 people recorded as sleeping rough in the capital in 2018. Among these figures are the Big Issue vendors who serve the capital. The Big Night Walk offers you the opportunity to join these vendors, support them, and speak out against rising poverty. So what’s the Big Night Walk all about?

Last year’s Big Night Walk heard from Mary, a Big Issue vendor based in Westminster with aspirations of teaching life skills to young offenders following her degree in Psychology and Criminology. Mary told the walkers how, after four years of homelessness, she is finally securely housed and thanks to The Big Issue Foundation’s Service Brokers, has a passport – a vital tool to access financial support and services.

While continuing to make a living through selling The Big Issue, Mary has spoken at an event at the House of Lords, attended a convention on mental health and homelessness, and helped train frontline staff at Hackney Council. The Big Night Walk enables more and more Big Issue vendors like Mary to achieve their aspirations, supported at every step.

As well as hearing from the people at the heart of our work, participants of last year’s event were treated to a guest appearance by Bob the cat and James Bowen. The dynamic duo rose to fame after James’ book about his life as a Covent Garden-based Big Issue vendor became a globally successful film. After a warmup of the vocal chords by London International Gospel Choir, walkers had

their arms swinging and hips shaking alongside The Big Issue Foundation’s own fundraiser-byday and wrestler-by-night, Rhia Docherty. All warmed up, supporters set off, guided by a team of dedicated Big Issue Foundation staff and volunteers alongside marvellous health and safety support from The Fair.

Having started at Shoreditch Town Hall at 10pm and taken in the vibrancy of Camden on a Friday evening, the walkers reached their first marker – Haverstock School opened their doors to give walkers a chance to rest their feet, enjoy a hot drink and refuel with some snacks. Then the route continued around Regents Park, the large houses providing a stark juxtaposition to the message behind The Big Night Walk. The scenic route around the park led walkers away from Camden and towards the next rest stop, kindly offered by the University of Westminster.

Restocked with snacks, the route went onwards through Marylebone – the walkers emerged into the heart of central London and weaved through the streets of Soho in the early hours.

After a quick stop to take in the panoramic views from Waterloo Bridge, the walkers crossed the river and headed towards their next break at St John’s Church. After a quick recharge, they were off again and on the homeward stretch! The moonlit South Bank showed the way home and the Millennium Bridge, of Harry Potter fame, led towards an amazing view of St Paul’s Cathedral. A quick

THE MOONLIT SOUTH BANK SHOWED THE W AY H O M E walk through the quiet City and past the iconic Barbican estate saw walkers happily return to Shoreditch Town Hall for a cup of tea and to receive their medals.

While aching legs might last for a couple of days, the sense of pride knowing that your fundraising is enabling life-changing support will remain with you. The 2019 Big Night Walk raised an astounding £80,000 for Big Issue vendors and this simply could not happen without each individual walker- thank you!

We would also like to say a huge thank you to the kind donations we received to keep participants fuelled courtesy of Perkier bars and Natural Balance foods, along with the marvellous Karma Cola, Life water and KoKo dairy free milk who were on hand to quench supporters’ thirst. The night was skilfully captured by photographers Marcus Jamieson-Pond and Andy Common, while videographer Jack Satchell traversed London to create the marvellous film of the night which can be found at bigissue.org.uk/walk.

Please join the Big Night Walk in 2020 for our extra special birthday walk. You can sign up at bigissue.org.uk/walk for just £25 or better still, gather a group of five or more friends and sign up for £20 each.

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STAR TURNS How rock stars and radio personalities are stepping up to support The Big Issue Foundation

BRYAN ADAMS As reported in the Summer Newsletter,

Bryan Adams, best known for his hugely successful music career, is no one-trick pony. Adams is also a well-established photographer having worked with many of his musical peers including Lana Del Rey, The Who and Mick Jagger.

But his love and passion for photography took an unconventional turn away from his usual elite clientele to a more humbling approach to his craft: Bryan turned his lens on the faces of Big Issue vendors. To tell the stories of people who have faced real hardship, Bryan chose to show the vendors in their truest forms, unfiltered. The result – “Homeless” – is a photo book containing 81 portraits of vendors, with all proceeds going towards the work of The Big Issue Foundation.

Despite being in the middle of a world tour, Adams held a book signing at

Hatchards at Piccadilly this summer.

During the event he also had the chance to catch up with William, a Big Issue vendor photographed during the making of the book. William was happy to see his portrait in print and also received a signed copy of the book. William is a much-loved vendor who also represented The Big Issue as a guest of Big Issue founder Lord John Bird for the State Opening of Parliament in 2017.

B R YA N ' S B O O K H A S 81 PORTRAITS OF BIG ISSUE VENDORS THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION / p18 / WINTER 2019

COLLECTIONS Almost everyone has at least one item in

their wardrobe that has never been worn or even has the shop tags still in tact.

Radio and TV presenter Maya Jama and Julie Adenuga, hosts on Apple Music’s Beats 1, were two such people. And they wanted to do something about it. They launched COLLECTIONS. – an online store where Maya and Julie connect directly with their audience, fashion fans and people simply wanting to do their bit, all with a philanthropic angle.

After a successful online launch, a pop-up shop quickly followed, featuring donations by the likes of Stormzy and Jourdan Dunn.

This summer the pair put on a second pop-up in a space on London’s Carnaby Street with proceeds supporting The Big Issue Foundation.

“Whenever I’m in central London, I see vendors, selling their magazine, and I thought it would be sick for us,” says Julie.

“We talked about homelessness in the UK and it just made sense for us to donate to people that are close to this space [on Carnaby Street].”

The day was a complete success with event raising over £5,000 for The Big Issue Foundation.

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IN THE HOT SEAT Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton recalls her journey from Big Issue vendor to Chief Fire Officer

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his year Dr. Sabrina Cohen-Hatton has joined The Big Issue as an ambassador – 21 years after selling the magazine after school in Newport town centre as a teenager: “[At 15] I went to see if I could get on a housing list, I was told because I was already homeless, I wasn’t a priority.

“What I found was the Big Issue. Every vendor that you see is either experiencing homelessness, is vulnerably housed, or is experiencing extreme poverty. And each one is a micro-entrepreneur. They are not begging, they are working. [It] meant I could save up enough money to earn my way out of poverty.”

Sabrina has gone on to become a firefighter and today she is the Chief Fire Officer of the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. She also obtained an undergraduate degree, a masters degree and a PhD. Her PhD in behavioural neuroscience has helped her pioneer the Decision Control Process which was added to the National Fire Chiefs Council’s operational guidelines.

Her book “The Heat of the Moment: A Firefighter’s Stories of Life and Death Decisions” explores her life as a homeless teenager and the various hurdles she faced. These stories involve examples from the firefighting industry, as well as

lessons to be learnt about decision making in every facet of life: “I have been in a position where you feel like you have been written off. Where you feel like society has put you in a place [and] you are confined by what people expect of you. I wanted to say to people that you can break out of that.”

W E H AV E A RESPONSIBILITY T0 DO MORE FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE

The Big Issue Foundation CEO Stephen Robertson says. “Sabrina’s story about personal change, determination and development in the face of great adversity is truly inspirational.

“Her commitment to show how the Big Issue offered her a hand up at a time of crisis is a wonderful example of how someone can wrestle control of their life and journey towards a new future.”

From speaking on the main stage of the Downs festival to guesting on Desert Island Discs, Sabrina is spreading the word of The Big Issue and the Foundation.

“I want to challenge people who might not know anything about homelessness to remember that these people are humans. If someone in the street falls over, people rush to help, but there you are on the street corner with no food in your belly, nowhere to live, no clean clothes and people walk past you like you are not there.

“We have someone who has fallen to the lowest point in their life, who is literally at rock bottom, and we walk past like it is an everyday occurrence. We have a collective responsibility to do more.”

“The Heat of the Moment: A Firefighter’s Stories of Life and Death Decisions” is available where books are sold.

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