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There's snow stopping 'em! Vendors brave the Beast from the East

Snowstorms and sub-zero temperatures have battered Britain but our sellers remain on the streets working to lift themselves out of poverty

Jim Norwich snow

The Beast from the East may have brought Britain to a standstill – but it hasn’t stopped our Big Issue vendors.

Sellers across the country were faced with freezing temperatures and snowy conditions on pitches all week as they sold the magazine to work themselves out of poverty.

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Despite the wintry blast, intrepid vendors remained on pitches throughout, spurred on by crucial support from regulars in these difficult conditions. The extreme weather was a harsh reminder that it is the most vulnerable who are hit hardest at difficult times.

Rough sleeping alerts app StreetLink demonstrated the harsh reality of life on the streets with record numbers of referrals as 3,600 people got in touch to report people sleeping on the streets – 2,032 in London – as the weather worsened between February 26 and 27.

While hundreds of schools and offices were closed, vendors do not have the luxury of working from home. Their job is tough at the best of times but their enterprising spirit was appreciated by people who shared messages across social media.

The snow has also brought a flurry of goodwill with football clubs donating leftover food after cancelled matches while everywhere from churches and mosques to cafes and community centres across the country have opened their doors to offer rough sleepers crucial shelter from the cold.
If you can’t reach your local vendor then you can buy the magazine from the Big Issue Shop here.
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