Big Issue and Colmore BID – working together to support others

Last Thursday, following a heavy rainstorm, Sal and Mohammed from The Big Issue team joined Zack from Colmore BID for an outreach walk around Birmingham city centre.

Despite the weather, the team was determined to connect with individuals who might benefit from the opportunity to become Big Issue vendors and take steps toward rebuilding their lives.

Zack’s deep knowledge of the city and his existing relationships with people in the District proved invaluable. He introduced Sal and Mohammed to several individuals who might be interested in selling The Big Issue magazine, a chance to earn a legitimate income and access wider support.

Even with fewer people out due to the rain, the team managed to speak with around seven individuals. Among them:

• One person was signposted to homelessness services.
• Another shared that they had a construction job lined up.
• A few weren’t in the right headspace to engage at the time.
• Two expressed interest in selling The Big Issue.

Encouragingly, one of those individuals came into The Big Issue office on Monday to officially sign up and begin their journey with The Big Issue, choosing to try something different.

This collaboration between The Big Issue Group and Colmore BID is part of a broader mission to dismantle poverty in the UK through social enterprise. By working together, we’re expanding our outreach in the city centre and engaging more people with the range of support we offer.

We’re always looking to build new partnerships, whether with corporate organisations or individuals, who want to make a difference alongside us. Raising awareness of our work and the support we provide to our vendors is key to creating lasting change.

If you’d like to learn more or get involved, please reach out to our Birmingham team: 📧 Mohammed.afzal@bigissue.com
📞 0121 236 1936

Together, we can offer people the chance to change their lives – one magazine at a time.