Glynn’s Story

I’ve been working really hard selling the magazine the last couple of years now. I’ve got lots of great customers that keep me going throughout the day with cups of tea and coffee.

I see it as a new start after a really rough past few years. I was homeless for a time and have also got a metal hip and a bit of metal in my wrist after a bad fall from a three-story building.

It was something like a near-death experience, but I’ve recovered well since then thanks to The Big Issue. It gives me a bit of structure and provided a foundation from which I’ve slowly been rebuilding my life. It’s given me enough to buy some clothes and keep myself going. If I can keep my sales up and get some normality back, long-term I’d like to set up my own caravan business.

I stayed in a caravan for a while; moving from site to site in Somerset. I grew up in this part of the world, and in recent years tended to move from town to town and hostel to hostel. I’d like to settle in Bath. It’s a lovely city with plenty of tourists that come here for the Roman Baths, Abbey and all the Georgian buildings.

The one thing I miss most is fishing. My stepdad used to take me fishing in a few places just north of Bath before I ended up in care. It was a great thing, just to sit there for hours and enjoy the peace and quiet. I’d love to find some of those spots again. I suppose it would be a sign of getting back to normal life.

In the meantime, I’m determined to keep working hard and out of trouble. I feel I’ve been given a second chance at life, and I’m determined to take it.

Geo Leonard – Bath Service Broker

Glynn has come a long way since he first started selling The Big Issue back in 2016. He has built up a good customer base and with the regular income generated from his magazine sales, has been able to keep ahead of the service charge on his supported housing in Bath.

Glynn’s big goal this year has been to get a passport. Photo ID opens up many doors from opening a bank account to getting a card reader that enables vendors to accept payments for their magazines via contactless. We applied to the Vendor Saver Fund and Glynn was able to get his passport a month later. Now he enjoys greater independence and is able to do more for himself.

Glynn has also recently started looking after his mum’s dog Chloe. Taking on the responsibility of a dog has really helped Glynn build structure in his life and provided some much welcome companionship in his accommodation. It’s also improved the budgeting of his Big Issue earnings to ensure Chloe’s voracious appetite is always catered for!