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Maya Jama and Julie Adenuga launch pop-up shop for The Big Issue Foundation

The power duo chat about their mission to dismantle poverty with bonanza fashion selloffs in next week’s magazine

It started one evening last summer, with a front-room full of mates, surrounded by boxes of unworn clothes.

Radio and TV presenter Maya Jama and Julie Adenuga, host on Apple Music’s Beats 1, were two of those mates; Maya’s still-bearing-tags clothes the garments in question. Within weeks, the two had launched COLLECTIONS: an online shop selling their clothes, with all proceeds going to charity.

A pop-up shop quickly followed and now a second, featuring donations by the likes of Stormzy and Jourdan Dunn, will this weekend be raising money for The Big Issue’s sister charity The Big Issue Foundation.

Collections X The Big Issue Foundation

The Big Issue meets them in the event space about-to-be fundraising store on London’s Carnaby Street just days ahead of the pop-up. There’s not a nerve on display as Jama, 24, and Adenuga, 30, trip over each other to answer our questions. They’re nothing short of a bloody delight: bright, articulate, full of positivity and energy; two women determined simply to be the change they want to see.

“Whenever I’m in central London, I see sellers, selling their magazine, and I thought it would be sick for us,” says Julie. “We talked about homelessness in the UK and it just made sense for us to donate to people that are close to this space [on Carnaby Street].”

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The pair explain their reasoning behind helping out The Big Issue Foundation in next week’s magazine, on sale Monday June 24th.

Stephen Robertson, CEO of Big Issue Foundation, says “I am so delighted that Julie Adenuga & Maya Jama will be hosting their pop up COLLECTIONS in support of The Big Issue Foundation. 100% of the profits will be donated towards our work supporting Big Issue vendors to move their lives and their businesses forward. I think it is going to be a very busy and successful day with a social mission and purpose that resonates at all levels.”

The COLLECTIONS pop-up shop will be raising money for The Big Issue Foundation on Sunday June 23rd at Platform LDN on Carnaby Street. Tickets for the free event, which is part of Soho’s Music Month, can be reserved here

Image: Mathew Parri Thomas

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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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