Our annual Changemakers celebration, this year in association with Citroën, is a tribute to the people and organisations who have focused not on themselves but on the rest of society.
And this incredible, inspirational collection of the selfless, tireless and remarkable innovators have all been chosen by you, our Big Issue readers. We asked you to nominate the people and groups who make life better and brighter, who see what needs done at a community level and beyond, either through their lived experience or because they realise that nobody else will step forward.
The difficulty came when we had to narrow down the names to just 100. It is clear that while institutions of state creak, and many need remedial action after a decade of funding removal and decline, there is a network criss-crossing the country who are lacing a safety net, and also, frequently, planting seeds for new growth.
This year, we also highlight a number of Younger Changemakers (those of 25 and under), we feature people nominated by well-known faces and we hear from those named as Big Issue Changemakers in previous years about the benefits the recognition brought them.
These Changemakers are some of the best of us – here are just a few of them. In this week’s magazine, meet all 100.
Who are some of the Changemakers featured in this week’s issue?
The charity helping transform homes for women and children fleeing abuse
One of the biggest challenges for people escaping domestic violence is where to go. Furnishing Futures collects donations from the interiors industry to transform housing into welcoming spaces for women and children fleeing abusive situations. We spoke to Emily Wheeler, founder and CEO.