Stewart Campbell, M&S Gallagher Retail Park, Dundee
Stewart used to be a chef until he was injured in an accident. His pitch helped him to get back on his feet
Image: Juliette Pedram
I was a chef up until 2006 when I got run over. I got knocked off my bike and for 18 months I was injured. I had stopped and a jeep pulled up behind me and hit me, but my bag saved my head from hitting the ground. My tailbone was the first thing that hit the ground and that was it. I couldn’t go back to work so they paid me off. I had been a chef since I was 16 and worked in kitchens. I spent eight years in London. I came back, went to college and left. I spent a year and a half in Dortmund in Germany. And then I came back and met my woman. A couple of years into that she became pregnant. I have a son now.
I came to Big Issue through a couple of my friends. They introduced me when I had left my partner and I was having a hard time going through the drug situation. That just got bad and I was lost, had no house, no home. I actually liked speaking to people and Big Issue’s been a great help in that. Everybody’s different and got a different story to tell and Big Issue has kept me occupied, it kept me away from the drugs, it kept me pretty sane. I enjoyed getting up and doing something instead of just sitting twiddling my thumbs.
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Selling Big Issue became part of my life in that way really, it was like a small saviour that helped and got me back on my feet. I’ve got my son who stays with me now and there’s only two of us. I can’t work because of different accidents and illnesses but I do try, and every day I get up and I go out. Big Issue is fantastic for me. I enjoy it. It pays for everything I get, covers everything I need at the end of the day. It pays for the electric, it pays for me, it pays for my kid.
My pitch is fantastic. I do love it. Unfortunately, at the moment, there’s only three stores. Normally there would be five, plus the charity shop. So things declined pretty drastically and I lost a lot of regulars as well. When Marks & Spencer got hacked I felt the repercussions and it was like eight weeks before they got back to their feet. It’s building up again, but that was a bad time. I’m hoping it will build up again. Fingers crossed.
My health hasn’t been great. I had a hernia operation last year and a week before Christmas I hopped over a wire thinking I was taking a shortcut and I broke my ankle. I was on two walking sticks and my foot was in a big, massive boot. I realised how much Big Issue was a great help to me. I wanted to get back. [Big Issue staff member] Chris came to visit. They gave me money for my electrics and a phone. I know I’ve had bad times but I’ve had help and I know I can have help when I need it. I need help getting a bank account now.
I just found out I’ve got bowel cancer. I’ve got two scans to go to so it’s just a case of waiting to see what comes of this. I know that there’s a lot of treatment they could do. It’s not like in the olden days, like 50/60 years ago, now they’ve got a lot of good technology and equipment.
I couldn’t sell over the Christmas period last year. Christmas is usually the time where you make the most money. People are happy because Christmas is coming. It’s a good time of the year.
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M&S Simply Food, East Dock Street, Broughshane Street, Dundee, UK