Advertisement
Press Release

Big Issue founder Lord John Bird joins the North East’s leading voices to debate the big issues

The event held at The Common Room was the culmination of the Big Issue Community Roadshow’s activities in Newcastle

Big Issue’s Community Roadshow came to its climax last night (Thursday 04 October), with leading voices from across the North East coming together in the spectacular setting of Newcastle’s The Common Room to debate how to drive meaningful change in the region.

The Big Debate panellists included Charlotte Windebank, managing director and co-founder of FIRST, who is dedicated to empowering underrepresented communities through entrepreneurship in the North East, and James Baxter, star of BBC’s Waterloo Road and a passionate advocate for developing arts opportunities for young people in his hometown of Sunderland.

They were also joined by former Big Issue vendor Earl Charlton, theatremaker Catrina McHugh MBE, and Nick Hartley, one of the first Green councillors to be elected in the North East.

A voice from further afield was the Big Issue’s founder, Lord John Bird, who journeyed from London for the event. Now a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, John Bird has used his lived experience of homelessness and destitution to become one of Westminster’s leading figures in poverty thinking. He is calling for the government to put greater focus and spend on breaking the cycle of poverty, rather than just treating the emergency.

More than 50 guests enjoyed the panel’s spirited, well-natured debate on how poverty can be addressed in the North East, and got the opportunity to pose their questions to the panellists towards the end of the event.

The Big Debate marks the end of a week-long Big Issue Community Roadshow in Newcastle. The leading social enterprise has brought its frontline, editorial and investment teams to the city to report on the issues facing the region and to explore how the Big Issue can play its part in the solutions.

Advertisement
Advertisement

It’s part of the Big Issue’s new Big Community scheme, which aims to unite the voices of people across the UK to demand more action on poverty for the government. The public can back the campaign and support the Big Issue’s services helping more than 4,000 people a year by signing up to the Big Issue’s new membership scheme.

To become a Member of the Big Community, visit bigissue.com/membership.

Advertisement

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.

Recommended for you

Read All
Big Issue vendors set to earn close to half a million additional earnings by 2027 via giffgaff partnership
Hammersmith Big Issue vendor Dave Martin uses his giffgaff phone to take a contactless payment. Credit Andy Parsons
Press Release

Big Issue vendors set to earn close to half a million additional earnings by 2027 via giffgaff partnership

Big Issue’s social investment arm reaching 1.8 million Brits through investees
The Power Up London 2024 Cohort of Big Issue Investees.
Big Issue Invest

Big Issue’s social investment arm reaching 1.8 million Brits through investees

New research shows over half of Brits feel more at risk of homelessness than last year
Press Release

New research shows over half of Brits feel more at risk of homelessness than last year

Wrap up in style or put up on display: Artists including Opake and Harry Hill feature in Big Issue designer wrapping paper collection
Press Release

Wrap up in style or put up on display: Artists including Opake and Harry Hill feature in Big Issue designer wrapping paper collection

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue