VENDOR WEEK
How Big Issue has helped thousands work their way out of poverty. Leaders take note
New figures show how Big Issue Group (BIG) has tackled the cost of living crisis head on by supporting thousands of people affected by poverty to earn and find employment in the last year.
Almost 4,000 people were given the opportunity to change their lives through enterprise in the previous 12 months across the group’s services, including by selling the magazine or being helped into work through Big Issue Recruit (BIR).
The figures, released as BIG puts the spotlight on vendors for National Vendor Week, show that the number of people the group has helped grew by 8% year-on-year as the cost of living crisis continued to bite.
That work has resulted in the delivery of £5.3 million of social value to the UK economy – including £4m generated through sales of The Big Issue magazine and £1.3m through BIR’s work to help marginalised individuals move into the full-time workplace.
BIG CEO Paul Cheal said the statistics show that Big Issue’s model could demonstrate how to help people affected by poverty into sustainable employment.
“We believe that the government’s Back to Work scheme requires further consideration and enhancement to truly serve the needs of marginalised people,” said Cheal.
“There is a huge opportunity to get more people into work and
