Big issue fact sheet

- In 1991 Gordon Roddick and John Bird created the big issue
magazine
- It was sold just on the streets, sold by people who were in
poverty and homeless
- More than 200 million copies of the magazine sold
- In the past 25 years vendors have earned £115 million
- 92,000 people have sold the big issue
- 3700 new vendors get help
- Currently the magazine is read by 400,000 people in the UK
- Around 83,073 a week
- There is 100 similar magazines in 35 countries
- The vendors buy it for half the cover price (£1.50) and then
they sell it on for £2.50
- The slogan is “a hand up not a handout”
- It has had a profound social effect
- There is the big issue foundation which is a independent
funded charity which provides support and guidance for
vendors in areas such as training, education, health and
housing
- Big issue invests which helps to finance sustainable social
enterprises, charities, and social trading platform
- The big issue shop buyers purchase eco friendly products or
products form organisations which use profits to support social
enterprises or charitable causes
- Sometimes celebrities come and get involved with the
magazine
- The magazines main category is entertainment and current
affairs