A newspaper sold by the homeless
Information extracted from The Big Issue No. 2, from an article in the Times by Melinda Wittstock, and from an article in the Independent by Imogen Edwards-Jones.
The Big Issue is a monthly 28 page colour tabloid, initiated by the Body Shop, and modelled on Street News, an equivalent publication in New York with a circulation of 150,000.'The Big Issue is sold by homeless people as an alternative to the humiliation of begging. About 1000 of London's 75,000 homeless sell the paper, working in trained teams of five or ten, and keeping 40p of the 50p cover price of each paper sold. The remaining 10p goes to housing and training organisations to cover administrative expenses.
The cost of producing the newspaper is due to be covered by advertising revenue.
'It's no different from begging, except that now I feel that I have some dignity and self-respect'
Tracy Banstead, who sleeps on the Strand and has been on the streets for four and a half years, is a team leader selling the papers at Charing Cross station. She says 'It's no different from begging, except that now I feel that I have some dignity and self-respect.' She has noticed that her team mates are now buying trainers, socks, clothing, etc.
The paper itself is a mixture of stylish articles not aimed at the homeless and material that is, such as a page of photos of missing persons. It even includes a number of social improvement suggestions, such as a proposal for a Find-out-who-your-neighbours-are day; and for a government recommendation, as in Sweden, that motorists, when their cars are stationary for more than one minute, should turn off the engines.
Editorial Comment
Perhaps The Big Issue could research and serialise a 1990s version of the 'Project London Free' booklet of information, which in the 1970s was distributed free to 14,000 poor Londoners, telling them everything that was available for free in London: from change for photocopied pound notes at Hammersmith tube station to test driving Rolls Royces, plus more vital information in between, such as where to get free food, accommodation and entertainment.
The Big Issue, 25 The Green, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1LY (tel 081 332 6700; fax 081 332 0954).
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