The Big Issue

Infobox Magazine
title = The Big Issue


image_size =
image_caption = Big Issue, 2005
editor = John Bird
editor_title = Editor in Chief
previous_editor =
staff_writer =
frequency = Weekly
circulation = 175,000 (as of 2007)cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/18/pressandpublishing2?gusrc=rss&feed=media |title=Big Issue relaunched as sales rise |first=Stephen |last=Brook |publisher=The Guardian |date=18 April 2008 |accessdate=2008-10-11 ]
category = Entertainment
company = The Big Issue Foundation
publisher =
firstdate = September 1991
country = United Kingdom
Australia
Japan
South Africa
Namibia
Kenyacite web |url=http://www.bigissue.com/magazinesite/introduction.html |title=Introduction & History |publisher=Big Issue |accessdate=2008-10-11 ]
based = London, UK
language = English (UK Edition)
website = [http://www.bigissue.com bigissue.com]
issn =

Founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991, "The Big Issue" produces an award winning entertainment and current affairs magazine, which is written by professional journalists and sold on the streets by homeless people. "The Big Issue" is one of the UK's leading social businesses, and exists to offer homeless people the opportunity to earn a legitimate income, thereby helping them to reintegrate into mainstream society.

To become a vendor you must be homeless or vulnerably housed. However "The Big Issue" recognise that for many people, being housed is only the first stage in getting off the streets, hence The Big Issue Foundation exists to support vendors in gaining control of their lives by tackling the various issues which lead to homelessness.

There are 5 regional editions of the magazine sold throughout the UK, and vendors buy "The Big Issue" for 70p [ [http://www.bigissue.com/magazinesite/about.html About the big Issue] ] and sell it for £1.50. The magazine is also produced and sold in Australia, Republic of Ireland South Africa, Japan, Namibia and Kenya. All vendors receive training, sign a code of conduct"The Big Issue - Code of Conduct" [http://www.bigissue.com/magazinesite/conduct.pdf] ] and can be identified by badges which include their photo and vendor number.

History

Inspired by "Street News", a newspaper sold by homeless people in New York, "The Big Issue" was founded in 1991 by John Bird and Gordon Roddick as a response to the increasing numbers of homeless people in London. [ [http://www.bigissue.com/magazinesite/introduction.html The Big Issue - Introduction and History] ] The magazine was initially published monthly, but in June 1993 "The Big Issue" went weekly. The venture continued to expand with regional editions being established in Scotland [http://www.bigissuescotland.com] , Wales [http://www.bigissuecymru.co.uk] , Northern England [http://www.bigissueinthenorth.com] and South West England [http://www.bigissuesouthwest.co.uk] . These editions cover the whole of the UK and editions are also produced in five other countries.

In 1995 The Big Issue Foundation was founded to offer additional support and advice to vendors around issues such as housing, health, personal finance and addiction.

Ethos

The magazine is produced by The Big Issue Company Ltd. The company is a self-sustaining business which generates income through magazine sales and advertising revenues. Financially, "The Big Issue" is a not-for-profit organization, with all post-investment profits passed to The Big Issue Foundation. It is one of the best known social businesses in the world.

The Big Issue Foundation is the registered charity arm of the organisation. It aims to underpin the company's work by tackling the underlying causes of homelessness

Overseas projects

There are also six international Big Issue projects by the same name.
* "The Big Issue Australia"
* "The Big Issue South Africa"
* "The Big Issue Namibia"
* "The Big Issue Japan"
* "The Big Issue Kenya"
* "The Big Issue Republic of Ireland"

Some similar projects are also published in different countries and cities around the world:

* "BISS", Munich, Germany
* "CAIS", Lisbon, Portugal
* "Fedél nélkül", Budapest, Hungary
* "Hecho en Bs. As.", Buenos Aires, Argentina
* "=Oslo" (ErlikOslo), Oslo, Norway
* "Spare Change News", Cambridge, MA, U.S.
* "Street Roots", Portland, OR, USA
* "StreetWise", Chicago, IL, USA
* "Street Sheet", Oakland/Berkeley, CA, USA
* "Situation Sthlm", Stockholm, Sweden
* "Hus Forbi", Denmark

Criticisms

Some criticism has been directed towards "The Big Issue". For example, apart from at the bigger centres, no services other than the selling of magazines to vendors is offered. Also, in some areas people (including the vendors themselves) feel that there are too many vendors, such as in the city of Oxford (although according to the manager of the Oxford branch, Oxford has 60-70 vendors which is about average for a city of that size). The people with the most need are not given priority when vending positions are allocated. Furthermore, vendors may still find it difficult to move on to other employment once they are off the streets. It has also been argued that "The Big Issue's" model has become outdated, as homeless people now tend to be younger and have fewer employment skills than the older people for whom "The Big Issue" was originally set up to help back into employment. A rising number of homeless people are now also involved in substance abuse and "The Big Issue" doesn't help to tackle this problem ("The Big Issue's" policy is that vendors can spend their money on whatever they choose, but vendors can't be under the influence of alcohol or drugs when selling "The Big Issue"). As substance abuse may be the reason why the vendor is homeless in the first place, "The Big Issue" tackles a symptom of this rather than the cause itself. ["On the Streets", "Oxford Forum", Issue 6 (Summer 2007)]

Response

Services:The Big Issue offers ongoing support to vendors through our network of outreach workers and via The Big Issue Foundation. Outreach staff spend the majority of their time on the streets building relationships with vendors, and are therefore on hand to offer tailored support, advice and referrals. The Big Issue does not duplicate existing services but instead sign-posts vendors to the organisation or agency best placed to address their needs.

Vendor numbers:The Big Issue works extremely closely with local authorities, town centre managers and the police to monitor vendor numbers in any given area, and to ensure that vendors play a positive role in their communities.

Pitch allocation:The Big Issue operates a strict pitch system. Vendors register for a pitch each week and pitches are allocated on a first come first served basis. Vendors are given the same level of support irrespective of the location of their pitch.

Successes:The causes of homelessness are varied and complex, therefore The Big Issue recognises that offering a vulnerable person the opportunity to earn a legitimate income is only the first step. The Big Issue Foundation exists to offer support in tackling the issues which contribute to homelessness, including substance abuse, mental health problems, debt etc. This process can be lengthy and difficult, hence The Big Issue allows people to continue selling the magazine for as long as is necessary. The Big Issue believes that any improvement in a person's circumstances, however small or gradual, should be considered a success.

ee also

* Street newspaper
* International Network of Street Papers

References

External links

* [http://www.bigissue.com/ bigissue.com: The Big Issue]
* [http://www.bigissueonline.com/cgi-bin/foundation/index.html The Big Issue Foundation]
* [http://www.bigissuecymru.co.uk/mainframe.htm The Big Issue Cymru]
* [http://www.streetnewsservice.org/ Street News Service — views and features from street papers around the world]
* [http://www.myspace.com/thebigissue Official The Big Issue - MySpace page]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTc2Cq6f2BQ&mode=related&search= "Ethical Entrepreneurs" John Bird founder of "The Big Issue", talks about his early life and entrepreneurial journey]