We’re always hiring
Do you know someone in your community who could benefit from being a vendor?
For the past 25 years, Big Issue North has been providing employment opportunities for anyone living in the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber. Currently, we work with approximately 250 vendors each week, helping them to earn an income through selling The Big Issue magazine to the public. Big Issue North is always open for new vendors.
With our support, becoming a vendor means someone can begin to run their own micro-business. Vendors are self-employed; it’s a job that is fully flexible, enabling vendors to sell on their pitches at times of the day that suit them. It’s a way for people to earn a legitimate income whilst gaining valuable social and transferable business and financial skills.
Although 45% of vendors have previously been in employment, a lot of the people we meet have already faced barriers to getting mainstream jobs. This can include homelessness, struggles with mental health or physical health, drug or alcohol dependence, lack of qualifications or skills, homelessness, or because they are new to the country.
For some people in vulnerable situations, it can be hard to ask for help or to have the confidence to approach us on their own. This is where we appeal for your help if you know someone in your community who could benefit from being a vendor.
“I have a learning disability,” says Michael, who sells the magazine near Morrisons in Kirkstall. “I used to sell the Yorkshire Evening Post and when that job stopped, I had the idea to sell the magazine because some other people who used to sell the Evening Post came here… I sell on my pitch two days a week – on a Tuesday and a Friday. I usually sell in the mornings for three hours each time. I am happy when I have sold all my magazines. I like feeling independent.”
Starting to work with us and earning an independent income has been the first step to a better life for many of our vendors. But, for some people in vulnerable situations, it can be hard to ask for help or to have the confidence to approach us on their own. This is where we appeal for your help if you know someone in your community who could benefit from being a vendor.
The process of becoming a vendor is simple. Once someone has reached out to us and expressed interest, for themselves or on someone else’s behalf, we will refer them to their nearest Big Issue North office with an appointment to meet our office staff and get them started.
During this appointment, a member of our team will assess whether selling The Big Issue is something that they would like and can do. We do this through a simple questionnaire, which enables us to look at any additional support that someone might need. We aim to ensure that all our vendors have sustainable employment that fits their needs and schedules.
The more vendors we have, the more we can do to support them and anyone else who needs our support; the money that vendors spend on magazines is reinvested in the services we provide.
Once they have completed their initial appointment, they will receive an official bib and badge. That way, people know that they are an authorised Big Issue seller. We give them five free magazines to get started and allocate them an approved pitch to sell from. After they have sold those, they can come back to their nearest Big Issue North office to buy more magazines. Each copy costs £2 and our vendors sell them for £4, keeping the profit.
We continually welcome new vendors. We have pitches all over the North, and we are consistently adding more. The more vendors we have, the more we can do to support them and anyone else who needs our support; the money that vendors spend on magazines is reinvested in the services we provide.
In addition to spreading the word that we are looking for new vendors, or helping people to get in touch with us, you can also support our mission to help those in need of work by texting BINORTH to 70970 to donate £5 or visiting www.justgiving.com/bigissuenorth.
