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Issue 1433 - How It Started

Happy birthday to us!

This week we mark our birthday – 29 years of giving a hand up to thousands of people. While there is much to celebrate about what we’ve achieved since 1991, the reality is there is more work to be done than ever before. In this week’s magazine, read about how we support vendors through the pandemic and how The Big Issue is lobbying government via our Ride Out Recession Alliance, and building an investment platform – The Big Exchange – to secure a brighter future for all.

The Big Art Auction

Rock ‘n’ roll up to a unique auction bringing together some of the world’s best artists, who have each created stunning exclusive pieces to raise money to support Big Issue vendors. Goldie, Radiohead artist Stanley Donwood, creator of iconic punk imagery Jamie Reid and sought-after artists including Gavin Turk, Joana Vasconcelos, Lauren Baker and Bran Symondson are among the 20 names whose pieces will be auctioned to raise funds for The Big Issue on November 4.

Also inside:

-In Letter To My Younger Self, Britain’s top boxing promoter Eddie Hearn says that he’d grab his teenage self by the lapels and call him an idiot
- Benjamin Zephaniah celebrates the fire of young poets protesting the system
- To mark Good Money Week, Laura Whateley shares pound stretching tips to save money during the pandemic
- Electronic music icon Gary Numan writes about his own personal revolution
- Everyone’s favourite rambunctious comedy actor Nick Frost spooks us with his new series with Simon Pegg, Truth Seekers
- Jack Richardson returns as our Vendor Expert to ease our concerns about a possible return to lockdown and on My Pitch we take a look at how vendors from across the world are coping in the age of Covid

Plus much more!

The Big Issue

The Big Issue's own-brand products support the creation of a range of work-based opportunities for disadvantaged people.
Big Issue has spent over 30 years at the helm of self-help revolution. It all began with the launch of The Big Issue magazine in 1991, which was created to offer homeless and disadvantaged people the opportunity to earn a legitimate income by selling a magazine on the streets. Since then over 200 million copies magazine have been sold by over 100,000 people. Vendors buy the magazine upfront for £1.75 and sell it on to the public for £4.00, and in doing so each runs their own micro-enterprise. In 2005 Big Issue Invest was launched, with the aim of extending The Big Issue's mission by financing the growth of social enterprises and charities across the UK. To date the organisation has directly invested in over 350 such organisations, and manages or advises on more than £170 million of social funds.
Read all about The Big Issue

The Big Issue big sellers

Support The Big Issue
Issue 1607 - Eric Cantona £4.00 GBP
Support The Big Issue
Issue 1606 - Cate Blanchett £4.00 GBP
Support The Big Issue
Issue 1604 - Time for a budget reboot £4.00 GBP
Support The Big Issue
Issue 1603 - Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley £4.00 GBP
See all The Big Issue items
Supporting the Makers (icon)

SUPPORTING THE MAKERS

Our suppliers create opportunities for disadvantaged people

Protecting the planet (icon)

PROTECTING THE PLANET

Our products are sourced with sustainability in mind

A hand up, not hand out (icon)

A HAND UP, NOT HAND OUT

We’re striving to dismantle poverty through social trading