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Big Issue vendor George picked to feature in I Am London exhibition

George, who sells outside the BBC HQ, joins Lords, artists and authors as the face of a new Historic England exhibition

Big Issue vendor George Anderson has been chosen as one of the 60 ambassadors of London for a new project from Historic England.

I Am London reflects the diverse range of people who call the capital home, each captured in a spot that is important to them.

George, who used to work for the NHS in Glasgow, fell homeless after moving to London when he lost his job and his family lifeline. Now, he is a well-known and very popular figure at his Big Issue pitch outside the BBC HQ at Broadcasting House.

“The top of Regent Street at night, where All Souls Church, BBC Headquarters and the Langham Hotel form a junction is the best place to show people the real London,” says George, pictured left at his favourite city spot.

“Rough sleepers use All Souls Church, wealthy visitors stay in the exclusive Langham Hotel and the BBC represents the pursuit of truth and integrity – for people not only in London and the UK, but also worldwide.”

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Other individuals featured in I Am London include Professor Lord Robert Winston and AC Grayling, with a final space remaining for one more Londoner. Could that be you?

“The buildings and places that make up London are as much a part of the city’s DNA as the people who live and work in it,” adds Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England.

“In fact, the fortunes of London’s people and its places are inextricably linked. If we lose those historic places, we lose London’s identity.”

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Change a vendor's life this Christmas

This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.

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