Brian, Edna’s Kitchen, Bristol

Photos: Hattie Greenyer

I’ve been doing Big Issue over the last three years – it’s actually been pretty cool. I’ve been getting a lot of support. Whenever I’ve needed help, they try and do the best they can. They’ve been quite a big backbone of mine, if I’m honest. They’ve given me food vouchers. They’ve helped me out with trying to get employment.

They’ve done Equals to Equals with me, which is a Big Issue thing where you basically try out working in the office. I did it for about 10 days but I really enjoyed being in the office. All of the staff are bubbly and down to earth. 

I enjoy working outside too, and I do have quite a few regular customers that come and see if I’m alright, if I want a coffee, or occasionally, they’ll buy me some food. I have a couple of lovely ladies who come three times a month and get me a coffee, buy a mag off me.

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I enjoy being able to talk to people. I’m a bubbly person. I like communicating with people and being able to talk to strangers, getting to know them, and even making new friends.

I started selling Big Issue because I was begging and I was told it was illegal. I had the Streetwise people in Bristol saying: “Look, come on, you’ve got to sort it out. You can’t be doing this all the time.” I was like: “Well, what can I do? I need a helping hand.”

They basically took me straight to Big Issue and I’ve been doing it ever since. I also do a private pitch working at Clockwise in Bristol. It’s an office space kind of place and I went there on Wednesday for the first time ever. It went pretty well. I managed to sell quite a few magazines in an hour and a half, which I’ve never done before. 

I love my music and I’m into Pokémon as well, like the cards and cartoons. The cards can be pretty pricey so I try to go for the budget ones. If anything, Pokémon has just gotten more popular since I was a kid. I love collecting stuff as well, like Only Fools and Horses memorabilia and I’m a big gamer so I play a lot of Xbox. I’m a Man United fan as well and a Bristol City fan. I love my football. Bristol City came sixth in the table in the Championship this season and we didn’t do very well in the play-offs. It would be so good for the city to have all the Premier League players coming in. That would be so cool.

I love cooking so I want to go and lean towards maybe becoming a sous chef or something, working alongside a really good chef. I cook a lot when I’m at home. I do a lot of picture taking as well and putting them on [Facebook groups] Rate My Plate and Rate My Roast. I tell you what, I’ve got so much love from it. I’ve got a passion for food. 

Big Issue has offered me a few work opportunities but because of my situation with housing at the moment, if I was to get anything over 16 hours it could affect my living status and stuff. I’m living in Easton in temporary accommodation. You just get chucked from pillar to post until you eventually get your own place.

Hopefully I’ll have my own permanent place within the next two years with a bit of luck. But it’s a bit of a Catch-22 situation. Before I was living here, I was living in a Salvation Army hostel and if I’d got a full-time job then I’d have to pay them £1,000 a month in rent. It’s not realistic in this day and age.

Interview: Liam Geraghty

Edna's Falafel Kitchen, Wine Street, Bristol, UK