The Big Issue Foundation

The Big Issue Foundation is a registered charity^[1] in England working with vendors of The Big Issue, a street newspaper. The foundation provides vendors with information, advice, guidance and support.

History

The foundation was created in November 1991 by John Bird with the aim of addressing the underlying issues which cause homelessness and by supporting Big Issue vendors.

Projects

The foundation has four main project areas under which its services fall: helping vendors establish secure housing, providing access to health advice and healthcare, managing vendors' money and The Big Issue sales, and improving homeless individuals' self-esteem.^[2]

Services

The foundation offers several services, including:

The Vendor Support Fund, which provides financial support to vendors to help them move on and to deal with crisis situations.
Financial Inclusion Project, a programme of financial literacy support for Big Issue Vendors, aiming to improve their financial skills.
Service Broker Project, a project to help Big Issue vendors obtain services (such as housing).
Outreach, which pairs Big Issue vendors with support teams working on the streets.
Health Week, an annual event where health practitioners provide services to vendors advising on all aspects of health and better lifestyle.
Aspirations Week, a project seeking to promote an "aspirational" culture among vendors.

Fundraising

The Big Issue Foundation is funded by donations made by Charitable Trusts,^[3] individuals^[4] and people participating in fundraising events.^[5]

References

External links

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