I was born in Belize and adopted at the age of 4. My adopted father was in the Navy so we moved around a lot. I eventually moved to London but things didn’t work out and I ended up on the streets. Whilst living rough I met a Big Issue vendor who told me about the magazine, so I decided to walk through the doors of The Big Issue in August 2009 and have never looked back. Selling is like a real job: I was on my pitch early every day and worked an 8-10 hour day. It showed people I’m hard working, that I make my own money and run my own business.
During the summer of 2010, The Big Issue Foundation asked Joel if he would like to join the vendor placement programme at the law firm, Freshfields. Every Thursday Joel has been selling the magazine in their office, gaining valuable work experience, establishing some fantastic contacts and improving his business and communications skills.
Richard I was working as a security guard and doing an HND in Engineering Design. But it was too much. I was working too hard and my marriage broke down. I had a nervous breakdown, dropped out of work and college, and moved to London. I had a delivery driver job for 8 months – until I had a crash on my bike and couldn’t work anymore. For a while I drifted, first back to Wales, then to London again. I met a woman and we moved to Hull and in 2006 she became pregnant and we had a son together, Jack. However, the relationship broke up, he was taken into foster care and now lives with my aunt. My life was out of control and I ended up in London, sleeping in St Martin’s night shelter. I started selling The Big Issue and after four months I got a place in a hostel called Passage House and spent eight months there. The Big Issue Foundation helped me get a new passport to use as ID. Then I moved into St Martin’s House in Clapham and started a course called Business Action on Homelessness (Ready for Work) and, with the help of The Big Issue Foundation’s Vendor Support Fund, got a Net Book computer and started to learn how to use it.
Until three years ago Mahesh was working for a blue chip company in south London.
He had a good salary and a home of his own. However, force of circumstances saw his life change dramatically, which led to him being jobless and homeless.
“In less than 18 months, my life collapsed; hostels, friends sofas and rough sleeping became ‘home’ all too quickly,” Mahesh says. For many vendors at Christmas this is their reality. But Mahesh approached The Big Issue and The Big Issue Foundation and started to rebuild his life; he was determined to make a change and started working 10 hours a day, seven days a week.
Viv came to the UK from Norway in 1978. She married and had two children. All was fine, but then, 21 years into her marriage, she split with her husband and moved out of the family home, sleeping on sofas at friends’ houses.
Little did she know it but she was only at the top of a downward spiral and she ended up on the street begging. For two years she slept under Blackfriars Bridge.
On the street Viv started knitting. At first she did it to keep her hands warm and it gave her a sense of purpose. She would knit things for people she met who gave her various ‘knitting challenges’ – she felt she was giving something back.
I’ve been back with The Big Issue since May this year. Last time, I didn’t get as much out of selling it, but that’s because you get out what you put in. This time round though it has already begun to help me turn my life around; change my life. I was inspired by the new sales training to take things more seriously and do a more professional job of selling the magazine.
I carry the code of practice round with me at all times. This is because it could help resolve any disputes between other vendors, buskers or other members of the public or other persons working on the High Street. It says in the code not to get in to such disputes so sometimes you just have to walk away and go somewhere you can do the job to the best of your ability.
I was born in Belize and adopted at the age of 4. My adopted father was in the Navy so we moved around a lot. I eventually moved to London but things didn’t work out and I ended up on the streets. Whilst living rough I met a Big Issue vendor who told me about the magazine, so I decided to walk through the doors of The Big Issue in August 2009 and have never looked back. Selling is like a real job: I was on my pitch early every day and worked an 8-10 hour day. It showed people I’m hard working, that I make my own money and run my own business.
Richard I was working as a security guard and doing an HND in Engineering Design. But it was too much. I was working too hard and my marriage broke down. I had a nervous breakdown, dropped out of work and college, and moved to London. I had a delivery driver job for 8 months – until I had a crash on my bike and couldn’t work anymore. For a while I drifted, first back to Wales, then to London again. I met a woman and we moved to Hull and in 2006 she became pregnant and we had a son together, Jack. However, the relationship broke up, he was taken into foster care and now lives with my aunt. My life was out of control and I ended up in London, sleeping in St Martin’s night shelter. I started selling The Big Issue and after four months I got a place in a hostel called Passage House and spent eight months there. The Big Issue Foundation helped me get a new passport to use as ID. Then I moved into St Martin’s House in Clapham and started a course called Business Action on Homelessness (Ready for Work) and, with the help of The Big Issue Foundation’s Vendor Support Fund, got a Net Book computer and started to learn how to use it.
Until three years ago Mahesh was working for a blue chip company in south London.
Viv came to the UK from Norway in 1978. She married and had two children. All was fine, but then, 21 years into her marriage, she split with her husband and moved out of the family home, sleeping on sofas at friends’ houses.
I’ve been back with The Big Issue since May this year. Last time, I didn’t get as much out of selling it, but that’s because you get out what you put in. This time round though it has already begun to help me turn my life around; change my life. I was inspired by the new sales training to take things more seriously and do a more professional job of selling the magazine.