Big Issue’s Changemakers of 2025: Nominate a group or person making the world a better place

Every year since 2018, we’ve celebrated the Changemakers; those who have not focused on themselves, but on the rest of us – a tribute to the people and organisations who make things better.

In 2024, for the first time, we did things differently. We invited you, our readers, to create our list of 100 Changemakers, in association with Citroën. And you did such a good job, that we’ve decided to hand you the editorial reins for a second year in a row.

Do you know a trailblazer in your local community? Or is there a national or international organisation based in the UK, that you admire? We want to hear of those we need to showcase from all across the country.

You can submit your nominations via our Changemakers 2025 form below.

We’re inviting nominations for Changemakers in the following categories:

• Communities and Equality
  • Calling out discrimination and campaigning for justice, we’re looking for Changemakers fighting the cause for those without a voice within their communities
• Culture and Sport
  • Activities like sport and the creative arts can help disadvantaged or marginalised people find their direction in life, build confidence and acquire new skills. Do you know a Changemaker who does just that?
• Environment and Climate
  • The climate emergency is becoming ever more urgent, both on a global scale and closer to home. We’ve only one planet and we want to know who the Changemakers, campaigners and organisations are, striving to protect it.
• Food and Nutrition
  • As food prices continue to soar and food banks struggle to cope with rising demand, food poverty is a problem that isn’t going away in the short term. We want to spotlight the dedicated Changemakers standing up to ensure nothing goes to waste and no one in their community goes hungry.
• Housing and Homelessness
  • The government has not yet met its pledges to address homelessness, but there are people working tirelessly to step in where policy fails. Who are the Changemakers offering hope to those for whom finding a safe, comfortable and affordable home is an ongoing struggle?
• Health and Disability
  • When people are pushed to the margins by a lack of accessibility, who are the Changemakers fighting their corner?
• Learning and Employment
  • Help us find Changemakers using the power of education and employment to help others find their place in the world
• Media and Campaigns
  • It can often seem as though public discourse is dominated by those with the most extreme opinions and the loudest voices. We want to find the Changemakers whose voices rise above the noise to shine a spotlight on corruption and injustice wherever they find it.
• Politics and Activism
  • As the UK welcomed a new government this year, we want to meet the Changemakers continuing to hold those in power to account.
• Refugees, Migrants and Asylum Seekers
  • The far-right riots in towns across the UK exposed a seam of racism and anti-migrant vitriol; we want to find Changemakers fighting the corner of those seeking a brighter future in this country.

If you would like to nominate someone but are not sure which category they fit into you can still make an open nomination.

After recent riots across the UK, communities came together to rebuild and support those affected. Those are the type of people we want to platform.

We will once again be spotlighting ‘Young Changemakers’, those aged 25 and under within our Top 100 list, who have already made a significant impact in their field. Last year’s list ranged from teenagers to octogenarians, and this year we hope to do the same.

The final list of Changemakers will be drawn from this wide spectrum of voices. We look forward to the difficult task of settling on a new top 100.

Our Changemakers for 2025 will be published in a special edition of the Big Issue in January next year, in partnership with Citroën. We will also celebrate the nominees who are not on the final list but are still making a vital contribution to positive change in the UK.

Entries will remain open until 4th November 2024.