The Big Issue

In May, when The Big Issue heard about the mysterious appearance of a makeshift house on an East London pavement, we knew we had to investigate. Made of wood and just big enough for someone to sleep in, the house had a locking door, fairy lights, a f

In 1987, Austria sparked a new Christmas tradition. Each year, it brings a lantern back to the country, lit from a candle in the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The flame is then spread around the world. Over the last few decades, it has shone a

It was always my dream that homelessness would be wiped out in this generation. No one should be forced on to the streets. But I’m sensing that our benefits system is now doing just that. It’s not just that benefits are too low for families to make e

The story starts with being lost. “I’m lost,” said the boy to the mole. An unlikely inter-species friendship is formed and a journey begins. The star of this year’s Christmas schedules is the animated adaptation of Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, the Mole

A single mother living in London, Denise cannot afford to buy gifts or Christmas dinner for her nine- and 11-year-old boys. Their little family of three didn’t celebrate in the pandemic, and it will be the same again this year. She is far from alone,

Britain is on strike. The pursuit of an inflation-softening pay rise has driven more Brits to join picket lines in 2022 than in any year since the miners’ strike raged under Margaret Thatcher. The Office for National Statistics has estimated that ove

In February, Russia invaded Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians fled abroad. Many more stayed behind. This winter, according to the UN, an estimated 11.2 million people are in need of shelter assistance and essential items such as blankets. With Russia t

In October I found myself being driven by an old friend on a long car journey. We were listening to the news as the story broke of Liz Truss ending her term as Prime Minister. My friend, who is not particularly politically engaged, asked me, “How did

This has been Wet Leg’s year. The Isle of Wight band’s smart takes on modern life and modern love over a super-fresh melodic guitar racket on songs like Angelica, Wet Dream and Chaise Longue soundtracked summers and made them indie stars. We meet Wet

When Roman Kemp was a boy, Christmas meant the latest round in an epic gift-off between his mum and dad (Shirlie of Pepsi and Shirlie and Spandau Ballet bassist Martin Kemp), and his mum’s best friend George Michael. The edge frequently went to the l

They say youth is wasted on the young but it’s truly not. The amoeba is forming itself, cells are dividing, everything is sorting itself out. At that time you are riddled with doubt but you also have an arrogance. It’s the time you’re supposed to mak

John-Paul Flintoff is an artist and poet who walked from London to Canterbury via Google Street View during lockdown, covering the landscape in virtual graffiti as he went. The former Sunday Times journalist had suffered a mental breakdown in 2018 wh

It sounds like the dream assignment for an ardent book lover and avid book reader; the chance to wax lyrical about your favourite book of the year. But it isn’t. It is tortuous. The more great books you’ve read, the more agonising it is. Because sett

I feel like 2022 will be remembered as the year of Harry Styles’s jumpsuits. At one point, that was the only thing that was on TikTok, just clips of his live shows. His music is great, but the jumpsuits are even better. And it’s been really fun to wa

1. Encourage a wager (4)4. Where the driver’s seat is found in the battle area (7)8. Wise choice of an original Christmas gift (12)9. Veteran about to finish army feud (8)10. Discharge with or without a gun (4)12. A number of games for the masseur (6

I must admit The Big Issue has been good for me. The mix of people I meet are the bit I enjoy the most. The money helps, of course, but you get a bit of banter too and you realise that there are good people out there. There’s a sense of routine with