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We’re back in lockdown and our vendors have again lost their ability to make an income. But this time, there is hope. Help us to get through the next 100 days.
The Big Community is powered by the organisations that support it. Partnerships enable us to maximise and amplify the social impact delivered via our existing and bespoke programmes, so that every organisation derives maximum value from its commitment and contribution to a cause.
We offer a wide range of ways to become part of our Big Community, from tailored media campaigns, membership packages, print subscriptions and access to our new digital app.
Partner with The Big Community and you will align your organisation with one of the most well trusted brands in the UK, whilst demonstrating your firm commitment to a more equal society.
From affordable sponsorship packages that fund our core programs of work, through to bespoke and tailored campaigns, your organisation can play a vital role in supporting The Big Issue’s mission to dismantle poverty, through creating opportunity, and help us to continue to support our vendors throughout this crisis and beyond
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through the power of partnership, we are creating opportunities for our vendors to build the vital skills, experience and confidence to move towards more stable work and lives.
Through a variety of working environments, we aim to help people who are marginalised nurture their talents and skills, and support them to reach their potential. The social aspect of working with other people is also crucial in helping reduce exclusion, benefiting mental health, and feeling part of a community.
We have launched a subscription scheme offering work- based opportunities to people facing poverty. By becoming a member of The Big Community, you enable us to offer this type of supported employment to vulnerable people, whilst demonstrating your business’ commitment to tackling poverty through receiving an award-winning magazine to your offices each week, fulfilled by a vendor in the scheme.
Hosting a sheltered pitch for a Big Issue vendor has a significant impact. Social barriers are broken down as Big Issue vendors are welcomed inside, viewed as a valued member of a wider team and have an opportunity to develop their skill base and confidence.
The programme supports the vendors participating to progress towards their personal goals whether these are accessing employment, training or increasing their wellbeing. In addition, the placement offers vendors an opportunity to develop their sales skills. The skills needed to sell within a corporate setting are very different to selling on the street. The variety of opportunities depend on the aspirations of the vendor and the opportunities available to develop skills within the host company.
At The Big Issue we are passionate about improving the financial and digital literacy of our vendors. Over the past year alone we have supported over 130 vendors to take the step to provide a cashless payment service to their customers, through our partnership with iZettle. This means helping vendors to gain ID, a bank account and a smart phone, as well as providing them with the skills and confidence in how to use them. We are looking to build a network of supporters who can help us further our mission to improve the financial and digital literacy of Big Issue vendors to ensure they are not excluded from mainstream society.
Providing opportunities within the creative industry for hard to reach or vulnerable individuals and groups. Our programs equip them with the skills, experience and support they need to develop and fulfil their potential. From getting hands on experience in creative content production through The Big Issue, to working with partners to provide access and opportunities within the arts, together we can break down social and cultural barriers.
Don the iconic red jacket and become a Big Issue vendor for the day; selling the Big Issue magazine alongside our inspirational vendors – highlighting the extreme difference between wealth and poverty. The Big Challenge is a great initiative for motivational team building, whilst honing customer engagement and creative sales techniques. It also challenges misconceptions and breaks down barriers – reaching social and financial inclusion objectives.
The membership packages and core programs listed are just some examples of how you can support The Big Community, and we can tailor these to suit your preferences and requirements. We also offer a variety of other partnership opportunities, such as custom publishing and branded content campaigns, sheltered corporate pitch schemes and corporate social venturing through our social investment arm, Big Issue Invest. Here are some examples…
Through a powerful partnership with The Saints Foundation, The Big Issue created a special edition of the magazine, raising awareness of the invaluable work they do in their local community. As part of the partnership, The Saints Foundation helped give Big Issue vendors a leg-up with a new employability programme.
An eight-week employability course, which was run by The Saints Foundation aimed to equip vendors with job-ready skills, building on their personal development and learning about job roles across the club. After successful completion of the course, three Big Issue vendors are now working in hospitality and security at St Mary’s stadium. Our campaign received global interest and achieved a total reach of over 650 million people.
The SEA runs the Social Enterprise Schools programme, which gives students, from 5yrs – 18yrs a hands-on experience in running a business with a social purpose. They were looking for a credible and authentic platform to raise their profile, attract funding and expand their impact.
The Big Issue created a national campaign and special social enterprise inspired edition which was co-created by the young people. Additional copies were sold by the children, with money raised going back into the children’s social enterprises within the schools.
The impact was significant, achieving a total reach of over 50 million people and this led to SEA being able to expand their programme into 19 new schools in London.
As The Big Issue continues to campaign for the welfare of society’s most vulnerable, we continue to forge partnerships and initiatives that put us at the forefront of social change. One of these partnerships was with Culture24, a ground-breaking arts and heritage charity, becoming their social impact partner for its new one-of-a-kind festival, Emerge.
The Big Issue produced the festivals’ programme which was distributed through the magazine and sold by our vendors across the numerous festival venues around the capital. We engaged one of our BII investees, Collage Arts to produce bespoke digital content as well as giving musicians and creatives the opportunity to perform at the festival itself.
The current trend for fast, disposable fashion is simply unsustainable. The Big Issue partnered with M&S and their Plan A team to raise awareness of their work in tackling the sustainability of the industry. The Big Issue recruited four young campaigners and visited Marks & Spencer’s HQ to quiz their top team of experts about what one of the biggest and best-known brands on the high street is doing to protect the environment and combat climate change. This resulted in an 8-page feature, digital and social activation and a national PR campaign that achieved over 10 million in reach.
The Big Issue created a campaign for Konica Minolta, showcasing them within a ‘Tech for Good’ special edition. We utilised Konica Minolta’s new AR app, GenARate in order to engage a wider audience and break down barriers and stigma about our vendors lives. Content from the print magazine was brought to life as readers hovered their phones over the page, enabling exclusive content, including our vendor Ann, who was able to tell her story.
The campaign supported Konica Minolta launch their app through creating a meaningful and authentic partnership that created genuine impact. The campaign achieved a total reach of over 100 million people.
Our CSV programme develops early stage social businesses through investment, advice and business partnerships. Partners provide support and mentoring to enable social businesses to deliver greater impact.
If your organisation wants to help support and be recognised for supporting The Big Issue’s mission to dismantle poverty, please get in touch to discuss our range of packages and benefits to suit your needs.
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