Nathan Dale, Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station
Nathan and his dog Rolo have become TikTok stars and are building up a following
Image: Mark Wheeler
I got out of jail in 2023 and came to Big Issue. I started working straight away, because I’ve got a missus and three children – two stepsons and a daughter. They’re 10, five and 18 months.
In the spring, I got approached by someone from a TikTok account called My Best Friend. They came over and did a nice story, just a video of me with my dog, Rolo, and it went viral. The next thing I knew, I got really recognised. I got loads of help and attention, so I decided to start my own TikTok, @natesrolo, and now it’s blowing off. I’ve got 25,000 followers; I’m getting paid off it. I’m doing live videos every day, showing a different side of Big Issue.
There’s a big stigma around selling Big Issue – people assume you’re a drug addict. I’m trying to show that we go to work, we smash it out. I work every day, 11 till 6. I’ve been clean four years. I’m in active recovery now, so I don’t take drugs, don’t drink alcohol – and I dress quite fresh. I’m always clean. That doesn’t help, because people expect you to be dirty, to wear scruffy, to not look after yourself.
So, I’m trying to say, “No, we can still go out every day, do a job.” We’re self-employed, but it’s basically sales. I’m trying to show that we’re out here, and we’re not begging, we’re working.
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We’re living in a hostel at the moment. We were supposed to be there for four weeks, but we’ve been in there now nearly 15 weeks. I was homeless for almost a year, and I spent most of my time in Blackpool in hotels because the council wouldn’t help, but then we got the help we needed. I’ve been housed since May, but we’re waiting for permanent housing. I tell all my regulars, I’m trying to save up for a camper van so I can travel the UK with my dog.
Rolo is mint. He’s perfect with everything and everyone. I have to defend my dog every single day, because everyone’s got the impression, oh, he’s in a muzzle, he’s going to be really dangerous. He’s not. He’s fully trained. He’s 17 months old, and he’s not reactive.
We’ve had a lot of help from Street Paws. If you ask them for any sort of treatment or food they will try their best to provide it. They are amazing.
Once we get housed, I want to maybe look at getting a job inside the train station. I’d like to have a set wage so I can turn around to my family and go, “Right, the kids have got this, this and this. We’ve got this to spend.” It would be a bit of a safety net for us as well.
I’d like to work in customer service, because that’s what I do anyway while selling Big Issue – I have people asking for directions or what bus they can get.
Big Issue has been amazing. It’s helped me with social anxiety, it’s helped me with being able to hold a conversation with somebody, and I make money every day, so Big Issue is doing quite a lot for us, and it’s actually helping me progress further in life.
I’d like to give my customers a big thank you for all the support. You are always welcome to come down and give Rolo a belly scratch!
Interview: Brontë Schiltz
Manchester Piccadilly railway station, Manchester, UK