Charity of the Month - The Big Issue Foundation

This December, we're supporting The Big Issue Foundation as our charity of the month!

For the next 31 days, you can round up your orders to the nearest £1 at the checkout, and all money raised will be donated to The Big Issue Foundation, registered charity no 1049077.

As always, we'll be matching your donations, so whatever you help to raise, we’ll donate the same, doubling the total amount given to charity.

About The Big Issue Foundation

The Big Issue Foundation exists to connect Big Issue vendors in the UK to the support and personal solutions that enable them to rebuild their lives and determine their own pathways to a better and more sustainable future.

They empower over 1,300 Big Issue vendors each year to regain their independence and turn a livelihood into a life. Your support changes lives by providing a hand-up, not a hand-out, so please donate today.

Support Big Issue vendors this Christmas

This Christmas, The Big Issue Foundation is asking vendors from across the UK to tell them their Big Wish. One of their vendors, Rodney, said his Big Wish this year is for every vendor to have a place to call home.

“I was on the streets for 16 years but before that I’d done The Big Issue in Salisbury. I’m off the drink, I’m off the drugs and I’m off the gambling.

“I love The Big Issue and if I can do something for it in the future I will. My customers are awesome, that’s all I can say about them. They know about my past and what I’ve struggled with, and they know I’m getting help. They realise I’m a human being. I work four or five days a week on my pitch and I can sell 50 magazines in that time. I volunteer in a foodbank as well.

“About a year ago I had managed to save up £1,500 of Big Issue earnings and I used it for a deposit for my flat. I’ve been there ever since. I’m finally getting my life together now.”

You can support Big Issue vendors like Rodney by making a top-up donation when you shop with us in December, and we'll will also match your donation.

Your support will help vendors access safe and secure accommodation this Christmas and prevent future homelessness through ongoing support.

Last Month’s Charity

Throughout November, we helped to support 2wish and raised more than £1,080, thanks to your checkout donations. Thank you so much to everyone who donated! We’ll also be matching your donations, bringing the total raised for the charity to just over £2,160.

2wish offer support for those affected by sudden death in young people. When a family loses a child or young adult the effects are devastating for all who knew and loved them.

Their mission is to ensure that all those affected by the sudden and traumatic death of a child or a young adult aged 25 or under throughout Wales receive the support they deserve.

More about The Big Issue Foundation

Vendors purchase The Big Issue magazine for £1.50 and sell it on for £3. Since it started in 1991, the magazine has provided a livelihood for 92,000 Big Issue vendors - reaching the milestone of 200 million copies sold in 2016. In fact, if these copies were stacked up, they’d reach the International Space Station!

The Big Issue Foundation provides additional support to over 1,300 vendors every year. This support empowers vendors to move forward, regain their independence and turn a livelihood into a life.

Frontline workers are trained to accurately identify the needs of a Big Issue vendor and provide expert information, advice, and guidance best suited to address these needs. They do this by accessing local services, maintaining support networks, and preventing Big Issue vendors falling through the gaps in society.