Big Issue vendors are back!

It’s an incredibly significant week for The Big Issue as vendors return to street selling in England in Wales (with Scotland to follow, hopefully, in a couple of weeks).

Hundreds of men and women will be on their pitches ready to work, be reunited with their customers and meet new ones. They are why we are here. So after a long period of uncertainty, we ask vendors across the country the lessons they’ve learned from lockdown and what they’re most looking forward to in the new normal that’s emerging. In every case, what comes through is how much they are looking forward to getting back out there.

Also inside

• As The Big Issue relaunches, John Bird goes back to where it all began, meeting vendors on the steps of St Martin-in-the-Fields
• Awards-favourite Nomadland explores a growing ‘houseless’ subculture in America, we speak to one of the real-life nomads who inspired and stars in the film
• We take a look at the striking Deliveroo riders and ask if the pandemic has shown the true worth of gig economy workers
• TV’s Matt Baker delivers a Letter To My Younger Self telling us how he left his heart on his childhood farm, that he’s now returned to
• Brothers Domnhall and Brian Gleeson talk about their new Channel 4 comedy series Frank of Ireland and roping in their father for a cameo
• And we take a tour of international street papers to find out how vendors in different countries are coping with the pandemic

As ever, much much more!

Please support your local Big Issue vendor as they return to their pitches. If you cannot reach your vendor, you can still click HERE to subscribe to The Big Issue today or give a gift subscription to a friend or family member. You can also purchase one-off issues from The Big Issue app, available now from the App Store or Google Play.