Steve’s Story

Steve Trigg has won Octobers Oxford’s Vendor Achievement of the Month Award. This award, inaugurated in August of the year serves to recognise and reward the progress our vendors have made towards social and financial inclusion over the last month, previous winners include vendors Phil and Derek. Winners are selected according to: general good conduct, attitude and commitment; efforts to improve sales; positive public feedback; and progress towards personal goals. Each month the staff team in Oxford consider candidates against these criteria when deciding on a winner.

Steve has worked exceedingly hard towards his aspirations; he is saving up for and planning towards setting up a flower stall business in Oxford. He has recently secured a voluntary position at Crisis Skylight, supporting clients to learn the guitar. He has also been clean of drugs for a significant time. “I’m chuffed to bits,” says Steve, “it means a lot to me to have my efforts recognised. I have been working hard to get to where I want to be and I’m quarter of the way there. Compared to where I was a year ago, I’ve turned my life around.” Steve’s voucher prize is for Sainsburys; he hopes to buy some things for his dog, Charlie. Steve is a consistently good Big Issue vendor and he enjoys his work:

“The Big Issue gives me structure for the day: I get up early and work hard. Without the help of The Big Issue, I don’t know where I’d be.”

We are incredibly proud of Steve as well as our services team in Oxford who has spent a look of time and worked very hard to help Steve turn his life around. Well done to you all.