Smart thinking has helped Nicolas into a work placement from which he aims to find Mainstream employment.
In March, Nicolas became the fourth vendor to take on a corporate placement hosted by Northern Trust in Canary Wharf, where he took over from Dave Martin.
Our corporate placement programme provides Big Issue vendors with a weekly, supported sales opportunity, as well as a chance to develop skills with the host company’s employees. Corporate placements also provide an opportunity for companies to bring corporate social responsibility and diversity and inclusion strategies to life in the work environment. Nicholas, meanwhile, is very happy:
I like the fact that people are respectful and nice here, but of course, you have to be respectful also. Respect is earned.
Nicolas started selling The Big Issue in 2011. “It’s good enough to survive from,” he says. “Though it depends a lot on how you are with people.” His steady sales, and commitment to his job on his pitch outside Southwark station, made him a perfect candidate to take over from Dave. He hopes to make new customers, work in a new environment, and grow his experience so he can find employment. The positive experience of vending at Northern Trust, and the energy he feels from being in the financial quarter has inspired Nicholas to start thinking about life beyond selling the magazine.
From that point, says Nicolas, things changed; he changed. In July, Nicolas moved into a room in a shared house. He was sleeping on a couch initially, but this gave him back pain and he was referred for physiotherapy. The Big Issue Foundation’s Vendor Support Fund enabled Nicholas to purchase a bed, supported by London Service Brokers Sikira and Ana. Two weeks later he was on the mend and ready to dedicate his time to look for mainstream employment.
Ana helped Nicolas update his CV. They then applied for hotel and kitchen jobs in London. His lack of experience meant he struggled to get an interview, so they turned to Business in the Community (BITC). They are the Prince’s Responsible Business Network, whose members work together to tackle a range of issues essential to building a fairer society. They helped Nicholas get an interview at a catering placement at Freshfields, another one of our corporate partners.
