Why on earth is Big Issue banging on about Finland? It’s a fair question.
You see, it’s a hell of a thing to be the best in the world at anything. Whether that’s the most hot dogs eaten in a minute (Miki Sudo, with six hot dogs and buns, fyi) or having an education system that’s the envy of other countries.
For many years, Finland has been able to claim to be both the World Happiness Report’s happiest nation – for eight years running, no less – and the best in the world at tackling homelessness. When the Finnish Embassy invited Big Issue to Helsinki to find out what makes it the best in these two areas, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to dig deeper.
Because Scandinavia has become associated with progressive thinking and social solutions, with Finland leading the charge. Whether it be the Swedes’ flatpack revolution, Norway driving towards going all-electric on the roads or Denmark pressing ahead with social media bans for under-15s, there are plenty of bold Nordic ideas to improve how we live. You regularly hear stats like: ‘Helsinki just went a whole year without a single road death’ and you think, maybe they’re on to something over there.
In a UK grappling with discontent and division, there must be something we can learn.
What else is in this week’s Big Issue?
Could building new train stations help get Britain back on track?
Opening new stations in the UK is not simple. A total of 13 were scheduled to open in 2024. What commuters have ended up with is not delayed trains, but delayed stations. Over a year on, fewer than half have opened. What are the challenges – and opportunities?
