Buy A Winter Support Kit
£36.99
Each kit helps keep vendors earning, warm, fed and progressing. Vendors receive:
- A beanie and gloves
- A hot food and drink voucher
- Specialist training and support to take cashless payments
Change a vendor’s life this Christmas
3 ways to support
If you can’t visit a local vendor, choose how you support them over winter and beyond.
Support a vendor
£5/month
Your regular support means Big Issue can be there for vendors all year round, helping them to:
- Earn immediate income
- Build skills and confidence
- Create pathways towards a more secure future
Become a digital subscriber
£11/month
Get Big Issue magazine every week, with journalism that goes beyond the headlines, while helping create change.
- In-depth reporting and exclusive interviews
- Access to our digital archive
Prefer to give once?
Make an instant contribution to support Big Issue’s work and vendors.
£ Contribute nowYour Vendor Support Kit purchase will provide a…
Hot Drink and Food Voucher
Hot Drink and Food Voucher
In partnership with Greggs – keeping vendors fuelled and hydrated
Sales and Employment Training
Sales and Employment Training
Delivered through a personalised support plan
John’s Story
I’m John and I sell the Big Issue in Killay, Swansea.
I used to sell down in Weston-super-Mare. I moved down there to recover from alcoholism and got talking to a Big Issue vendor who pointed me towards the magazine. I was looking to make some money and keep occupied. I’ve been clean now for 21 years and with the Big Issue for 18.
The Big Issue was really helpful during Covid, when I couldn’t get on my pitch and sell and they helped me out with a refurbished laptop – it’s great for talking to my girlfriend, checking the news, and looking at the weather so I know what to wear when I’m out selling.
When my mum died it was a really stressful time. I didn’t know where to start, so I got in contact with my outreach worker at the Big Issue. At the time my anxiety was hitting the roof – he helped me.
Selling Big Issue creates a lovely community. I’m well known and I’ve seen babies growing up from their mum’s tummies, I’ve seen puppies grow up. Any dog that stops near me gets a fuss. It’s a guarantee. Sometimes I’ll look after a dog while people go shopping.
I love selling at Christmas. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold, raining, there are people about. Everyone is in a good mood but then come January, there’s nobody around at all. We have to make what we can and work extra hours over Christmas to cover January.
I’m looking forward to the future and keeping on as long as I can as I enjoy selling it, I enjoy talking and I enjoy the camaraderie with the other vendors.
Big Issue Promise
Your purchase of the Big Issue Winter Support Kit helps to cover the cost of the items in the kit and supports the vital efforts of the Big Issue Support Service (Big Issue Changing Lives CIC). Read more about our Big Issue Promise.
Campaign photography credit: Juliette Pedram