A hand up, not a handout
Mark Dempster struggled with drug addiction when he was younger, and turned to the Big Issue back in the 1990s. He has completely transformed his life since, and is now a fully trained counsellor with his own practice in Harley Street.
A former drug addict and dealer, Mark Dempster sold The Big Issue in the 1990s before he trained as a counsellor and launched his successful Harley Street practice.
He has also co-hosted a radio show with Russell Brand.
“I have led two lives – one before recovery from addiction and one after,” he says.
“The experience and support The Big Issue gave me during my early addiction recovery helped me regain control and become a successful therapist and addiction expert.”
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.
