Hope on the high street

As more and more big names disappear from the high street, efforts to reclaim the heart of communities gather pace. We speak to the movers and shakers reviving the nation’s town centres

Lawyer Rob Bilott, whose battles with US giant DuPont inspired new film Dark Waters, tells why he’s not giving up yet

And we look at how many people hit by the terrible flooding don’t have insurance because in deprived communities it’s a “luxury” some can’t afford.

Also inside…

• This week’s Letter To My Younger Self is with the only person to have won both the Turner Prize and an Oscar. Sir Steve McQueen reflects on defying expectations.
• John Bird writes about how Jane Austen’s work paradoxically helps us reflect on the ugliness of the world.
• Here For Life is a film depicting the complex lives of people who work with Cardboard Citizens. Find out more too about a special screening in London to support The Big Issue.
• Vendor Chris Clarke in Cheltenham tells us how selling the magazine is about more than paying the bills and that the social aspect has been great for his mental health.
• Plus – do criminals have smaller brains than law-abiding citizens?

As always, find your local vendor on the street and buy your weekly copy of the magazine.

And if you want to support The Big Issue regularly, you can subscribe and receive the magazine on your doorstep every single week!