How the Big Issue went from revolutionary act to an iconic part of Britain’s street

It started as a revolutionary act. Back in 1991, the very idea of a publication being sold on the streets of Britain by the homeless and the dispossessed, the poorest and those falling through society’s cracks, was thought doomed from the start. 

That this title would be bought by those who sell it for half the cover price, so that they earn and immediately have agency in their own lives, only compounded the belief that it would never work. 

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Big Issue founders John Bird and Gordon Roddick were not easily put off. The magazine they launched in 1991 remains true to the establishing ideals. A hand up, not a hand out. A title beyond the mainstream, a challenge to authority, seeking solutions not carping from the sides, with hips and a steely campaigning focus to change things for the better, to speak frequently for those ignored, with a team of professional journalists who would listen to, and be inspired by, the men and women who sell it to work their way out of poverty. 

It has grown to become more than a magazine, of course. A founder of the International Network of Street Papers, Big Issue has inspired over 120 similar titles, including sister Big Issues, globally. Big Issue Invest came along 20 years ago, built to use investors’ capital to help grow charities, small businesses and third-sector organisations who thought of people before profit and wanted to do good in the world.

Big Issue Recruit is now a vital into-work resource for many who have been locked out of the jobs market. Over time, bigissue.com has grown to become a must-read for anybody who wants to see social injustice challenged daily and for sharp, smart analysis. It is also provides a platform to show more of the level of access that Big Issue has worked over the years to build, bringing something new from many well-known figures. 

While Big Issue Group is now a poverty fighting machine, delivering impact beyond the initial idea, the journalism remains core. 

I mention all this because it is always worth repeating. And also, because last week, Big Issue was presented the Outstanding Contribution to Journalism award at the Society Of Editors’ annual ceremony. 

This is significant, a moment of pride for the organisation and recognition for the work we do. The judges talked about our “punchy buccaneering swagger”. Who wouldn’t like that! I could have kissed them. 

Big Issue means a lot to a lot of people. And that is another reason why it is always worth repeating who we are and what we do. 

Christmas is coming. And Christmas is of massive importance to the men and women who earn their living selling Big Issue. Sales go up. If you are with us for the first time, stick around. It is this good every week. 

And as sales go up, we do all we can to help our vendors earn as much as they can. We pull in big names for big seasonal covers. It’s not easy out there. The entirety of Big Issue Group puts its shoulder into helping increase sales and vendor support. The price goes up for a few weeks, so each sale means more income for the vendors. 

The revolutionary act grew to become an iconic part of Britain’s street. It may have matured, but the fire remains. 

In many ways, we’re only just getting started.

Paul McNamee is editor of the Big Issue. Read more of his columns here. Follow him on X.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. This Christmas, you can make a lasting change on a vendor’s life. Buy a magazine from your local vendor in the street every week. If you can’t reach them, buy a Vendor Support Kit.

Big Issue is demanding an end to extreme poverty. Will you ask your MP to join us?