THE DISPATCH
MONEY
When vendors needed help urgently we stepped in, thanks to our readers
When the first lockdown was announced in March 2020, The Big Issue’s business model was flipped on its head overnight. With vendors unable to earn an income by selling magazines, we had to sell them on their behalf then pass on the proceeds to help more than 2,000 people through unprecedented challenges. We managed to do that thanks to you, dear reader. You bought subscriptions for yourself, friends and family, retailers including Sainsbury’s and the Co-op stocked us for the first time and you donated generously. And by the anniversary of the first lockdown, we had been able to give out a total of £1,062,000 to some of the most vulnerable people in the country.
On top of this, we provided whatever vendors needed urgently.
SOME OF THE ITEMS WE PROVIDED
A washing machine replacement for a vendor and their children
A freezer for a vendor who had recently gained custody of his son
Laptops for training courses including GCSEs and how to write sci-fi stories
Clothing and toiletries
