With their red jacket and a stack of magazines, Big Issue sellers are a familiar presence on streets of Britain. You’ll find them outside the station, near a supermarket or perhaps at a crowded crossroads, inviting passers-by to buy a copy. For Cardiff residents, the faces of Maurice on Charles street or Mark around Queen Station are customary. Yet, not everyone is familiar with “The issue” and what they do.
The Big Issue started in London in 1991, to support rough sleepers through “a hand up, not a hand out” by offering them a legitimate work opportunity. Vendors purchase the magazine at £1.25 and sell it at £2.50, earning a small income as a result.
Even for a well-established social enterprise like The Big Issue, changes in recent years posed a significant challenge. In the past, the organisation recruited most vendors among people who were homeless. Government austerity and cuts to welfare since 2010 however, have taken their toll on British families. Though unemployment is at a record low, the issue is now one of job quality and fairness, rather than quantity.
The Welsh exception
Wales fares considerably worse compared to the rest of the country,
with lower incomes and more households being
pushed into poverty. According to the ONS,
weekly expenditure for
Welsh households was around £470, much lower than the UK average of £550.
Welsh workers also earn less than employees in the rest of the country, and their
salaries
grow more slowly. With around £500 per week (full-time gross earnings), up 2.1% from the
previous year, Wales lags behind most of the British regions except for the North East
(+0.5%).
This map shows the average weekly full-time gross earnings by local authority. There is a distinctive geographical pattern of inequality: areas with lower earnings, such as Wales, the North East and the South East, also tend to fare worse in other areas, such as poverty and unemployment.
Explore the map and click on a local authority to zoom in.
Data: Office of National Statistics.
No data available for Northern Ireland.
These events have forced The Big Issue Cymru and its South Wales office to reconsider its strategy. “We began noticing new kinds of people coming in, asking for work”, David Rees, sales and outreach worker at The Big Issue Cymru, says. "Some of them were looking for a second or third job; others were not homeless but were unemployed and needed some support while they tried to get back on their feet."
The South Wales office initially responded warmly, welcoming the expansion. While providing a job, staff also offered some informal support to find training, accommodation or work opportunities. At one point, however, they realised it was not enough.
Beyond "The Issue": the Vendor Development Programme
Lotty Talbutt, Sales and outreach worker for Big Issue Cymru, spearheaded the launch of the 'Vendor Development Programme’, which piloted in 2018. The scheme provided participants with opportunities to access education, skills training and work experience.
In England, The Big Issue Foundation, the organisation’s charity arm, provides this kind of support. But there was nothing similar in Wales. “Four years ago, we ran a programme here with support from the Welsh government, but it was discontinued due to funding cuts”, Lotty explains.
The new project’s focus wasn’t just on employability. Building a person’s confidence was just as important as enhancing their skills. This required a creative, all-encompassing approach. “We ran workshops on wellbeing, self-confidence, fighting isolation and anxiety”, Lotty says. One of the most successful initiatives was a drama workshop. Participants could work on their language and presence, while connecting with other people.
What made the development programme successful was networking with other groups, charities and business. “The organisation Making Minds got in touch with us to organise a writing workshop at The Little Man café. Everyone could take part – we invited other organisations, as well. We wanted to build an inclusive space, a community.”
Addressing the training gap
The programme also presented an opportunity for Lotty to identify some gaps and challenges in the current job market. Many employment schemes are geared to younger people, with an eye to preventing poverty and possibly homelessness down the line. For people who are over 24, there isn’t much on offer. “Many of our vendors are over 40. they often lost their job and It’s difficult for them to re-enter the job market.” Although young people are at high risk of homelessness, in-work poverty is worsening in Wales. For families with children, having a job is no longer a guarantee against poverty: more than two thirds of children in relative poverty live in households where at least one adult is in work, according to StatsWales.
The Big Issue tries to fill this gap with its ordinary activities and with its pilot programmes. For individuals who leave the job market due to various circumstances – like health or economic downturns –, going back in is no easy task. Acquiring the right skills for a changing job market is key, but so is regaining one’s sense of self, especially after traumatic events.
“People need to hear good things and believe they are capable. I launched the development programme because there were two vendors on our team who were ready to move on from The Big Issue, but maybe they lacked the right skills and they needed a little help to put themselves out there”, explains Lotty.
A precious legacy
The scheme stopped running at the end of last year, but its legacy remains. Involving the whole
team in it was a very important part of the process, according to Lotty. Without it, that
project wouldn’t have had as much impact.
“We still help vendors with everything they may need. The support is informal, but it’s
definitely still there”, Lotty says. Her colleague David adds this is a key part of The Big
Issue’s mission: helping people build a path forward, beyond The Big Issue. More than just a
workplace, the office becomes a support network. Vendors even founded their own football team in
2016. The team competes in the four-a-side league organised by Street Football Wales.
In addition, the initiative helped connect people and organisations, laying the groundwork for future events and opportunities. These have contributed to expand the South Wales office’s rich network of corporate partnerships. Firms can purchase subscriptions for their employees or co-sponsor partnership initiatives, like events, advertising, internships and other activities.
The impact this had on individuals is unmeasurable, but it’s definitely visible. These experiences were life-changing for some. Lotty’s voice lightens up when she tells the stories of some of the vendors who took part in the programme. One participant discovered her creative talent and is now writing for theatre; another completed two weeks of work experience at a local business and was eventually offered a job.
The shrinking "soft skills" sector
Austerity has meant shrinking budgets for local authorities and charities alike. With these financial constraints, soft skills programmes are typically the first to be slashed. The recent increase in the number of people needing support has also put significant pressure on organisations’ capabilities.
Pursuing a bespoke, holistic approach is certainly more expensive than simply shuffling people through the system, explains Rebecca Jackson from Shelter Cymru. However, investing in an intensive effort may prove more efficient in the long run. “I would argue that, in times of austerity, it’s better to spend money on things that work, rather than spend money on things that are cheap but actually don’t work.”
Investing on the people who are offering and managing those services is just as important as
investing in the people that access them. It is difficult for a business or a charity to be
forward-thinking and innovative, when they lack the resources for day-to-day administration.
“Making sure contracts are long term and wages are fair is the only way to have services that
are good quality”, Ms. Jackson emphasises.
Government contracts need to reflect both this holistic approach and a long-term perspective.
A way forward for Wales
Joint commissioning of services is a well-researched approach that has yielded positive results all around the world, especially with housing. With joint commissioning, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) work together or with local authorities to commission services and offer integrated health and social care. They may share budgets, staff or infrastructure and they plan their action jointly. “Joint commissioning of housing and health has proven particularly successful in several countries, especially when health led the way,” Ms. Jackson explains.
There is extensive research on the positive health effects of secure and decent housing: a safe
home becomes a starting point to support individuals, especially the most vulnerable.
NHS England developed a CCG Engagement Programme and published guidelines for CCGs. As a result, several CCGs have partnered with local
authorities to
develop Joint Commissioning Strategies.
“We are not seeing nearly enough joint commissioning in Wales, but that should definitely be the
way forward,” Ms. Jackson explains.” Ideally, Housing First in Wales should be combined with
health commissioning to maximise its impact.”