And 18-year-old Chloe Jones from Chorley bonds with her idol James Arthur about their respective mental health challenges and how music became a “coping mechanism for past traumas”.
Over the course of the next month, Big Issue is highlighting how its services offer opportunities for young people to work, earn, learn and thrive through its Big Opportunities for Young People campaign.
Our support team offers a range of direct support to young people, from job coaching and work opportunities for young people through person-centred employment service Big Issue Recruit, to financially backing social enterprises who work directly with children and young adults through Big Issue Invest.
Big Issue is also supporting young vendors through peer-to-peer mentoring programmes and income earning opportunities selling the magazine. People aged 18 to 24 made up 21% of the Big Issue’s vendor network in 2024, and more than 200 young vendors accessed additional support in areas like health and wellbeing, financial support and digital upskilling, as well as housing advice and support.
“Big Issue begins with opportunity,” said Paul McNamee, Big Issue UK editor. “We offer young people who are frequently marginalised and on society’s edge an opportunity to lift themselves up, both through the Big Issue’s own earning and learning opportunities, and by championing their voices and views through our journalism.
“For this very special edition, we wanted to learn of the unfiltered hopes, concerns and future plans of this special group of young people. They chose the content, conducted the interviews, guided Big Issue team on how they wanted the pages will look.
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
“You’ll find issues around education, health, identity, music, immigration, fashion… and lawn bowling. It’s eye-opening and will shift perspectives.”
“This special youth edition of the Big Issue highlights what people lucky enough to work with young people already know,” said Jamie Masraff, OnSide’s chief executive. “Despite tired stereotypes, young people are not disengaged or lacking in ambition. They are brilliant, care about their communities and are deeply connected to the issues shaping society.
“We’re proud to support this edition and even prouder of the young people who have made it happen. At a time when so many young people are facing unprecedented challenges, we need more opportunities for them to be seen, heard, and celebrated.”
Chloe Jones, one of the young contributors and a member of OnSide’s Youth Advisory Board had a “very positive experience” working with Big Issue.
“The staff there have been incredibly helpful and educational, as it was a new experience for all of us,” she said.
“They have allowed us the freedom to work on our articles independently and the way we want them to be, while still providing us with guidance, support and direction. They have taught me lots and gave me amazing opportunities, which I’m very thankful for.”
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
All nine of the youth contributors to the special Big Issue come from OnSide’s ‘Youth Zones’ – state of the art youth centres situated in some of the UK’s most economically disadvantaged areas. Youth Zones provide young people with affordable access to safe spaces, packed with high quality sports, arts and recreational facilities as well as guidance and support from trained and dedicated youth workers with a passion for supporting young people.
There are 15 Youth Zones in the growing OnSide network, supporting more than 55,000 young people each year. The charity is developing a further seven centres that will see it support 100,000 young people a year by the end of 2026.
This week’s special edition of Big Issue is now on sale. Find your local vendor to buy a copy, or subscribe.
Promises are easy to break. Sign Big Issue’s petition for a Poverty Zero law and help us make tackling poverty a legal requirement, not just a policy priority.
Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. Big Issue exists to give homeless and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income. To support our work buy a copy of the magazine or get the app from the App Store or Google Play.
