Big Issue Foundation

In 2007, James Bowen, a recovering heroin addict, found an injured cat curled up on a step when he himself was living in sheltered accommodation. The two became inseparable and Bob and James very literally saved each other. A few years later James wrote his first book about his unique relationship with Bob, A Street Cat Named Bob, which has now gone on to be an international best-seller, selling over 3 million copies and be translated into 35 languages.

What we do is not rocket science. We help people right when they need it. Often with simple grants through our Vendor Support Fund that can make a big impact on the lives of our vendors. One application that was recently approved was for Mark’s new business. In his own words…

"My name is Mark. I started selling The Big Issue thirteen years ago. A friend told me about The Big Issue and suggested that I get a badge."

As the sun shone on Wednesday 2nd July Zoe Rainey and Ben Stock were relieved that their short experience of selling The Big Issue on the streets of central London would at least be in pleasant weather! They weren’t sure exactly what to expect from the other elements of their time with their vendor mentor, but I think it’s fair to say they were both surprised by how  hard work the job is, the great feeling they got from selling a magazine and the reflections they had on the people who were passing them by.