There are plenty of good reasons for buying Big Issue North magazine.
Big Issue North vendors are working, not begging. Vendors buy the magazine from us for £2 and sell it to you for £4, keeping the profit they make.
75% of our vendors have never begged, and 79% of those who have say that selling the magazine has reduced their begging. Our vendors wish to be seen as salespeople, not beggars.
Selling the magazine doesn’t just provide the people who sell it with an income, but also increases their self-esteem as they make an honest living selling a great product. 55% of our vendors have never worked before, and 57% of our vendors say that selling Big Issue North has boosted their confidence and motivation.
People often feel they want to donate to the vendor, rather than paying for the magazine and taking it, and we respect their right to do that. By taking your copy home, however, just like you would take a copy of a magazine you’ve bought in a newsagent, you’re helping the magazine to keep going.
Like any print publication, rises in production costs and falling advertising revenues are a battle. We depend on our readers to buy and take the magazine since the money that is made from sales go back into the costs of producing it.
You are getting a top quality read. Our weekly magazine is packed with news, features, culture and comment written by professional journalists and writers.
It’s a magazine made in the north of England. Our news and features reflect life in this great region. We also have an international outlook, however, and Mumbai is our territory as much as Manchester.
We’re not seeking to make dividends for shareholders or line the pockets of a rich proprietor – any profits go back into the business. If people were to stop buying and taking the magazine, however, we would have to stop production and our vendors would not be able to sell it, meaning that our 250+ vendors would lose the vital employment opportunities and support we provide.
Photo: Denisa, Big Issue North vendor in Nantwich. Click here to find your local vendor.
