LIFE ON CITY’S EMPTY STREETS
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the decision was taken to stop the Big Issue magazine being sold on the streets. So what has that meant to the people who relied on the money they earned that way? Jillian Macmath reports
AS the coronavirus forces thousands of businesses to close their doors, most of the disruption is visible in shuttered shop fronts and eerily quiet town centres.
But the plight of some of the UK’s most vulnerable is less visible and, hunkered down in isolation, they don’t know what the future holds on the other side of the pandemic.
Among those struggling are vendors of the Big Issue magazine.
The company, now in its 29th year, aims to dismantle poverty by creating entrepreneurial opportunities for those in need.
Originally formed in response to the increasing number of rough sleepers in London, it has since expanded across the UK, with vendors buying the magazine for £1.25 and selling it on for £2.50 to earn a living.
But on March 21, as the threat of Covid-19 grew greater in the UK, Big Issue founder Lord John Bird made an unprecedented decision.
He told all vendors they could no longer sell on the streets.
Instantly, this cut off the income of more than 2,000 people – some of whom are society’s most vulnerable.
Many have struggled with addiction or their mental health and have spent time sleeping rough.
And without employment, and little certainty about when the country will return to normality, many wonder how they will stay afloat.
Cardiff, which is home to about 350,000 people, is usually bustling with pub goers and rugby fans on the weekends, and business people and university students during the week. But as businesses began transitioning to work-fromhome arrangements and universities cancelled classes for the term, footfall ground to a halt.
Mark Richards, a vendor who spends much of his time outside of Queen Street Railway Station, was quick to notice the change.
He said: “A couple of weeks ago it was jam-packed and now it’s like a ghost town. There’s nothing happening.
“Normally I’d be out there every single day working. But without getting customers, there’s nothing I can really do.”
Mark says he’s tried to access jobseeker’s allowance or Universal Credit to help him through the next few months, but has been told he’s not eligible.
“At the moment I’ve got to wait for my wages to come through,” he said.
“I’ve got the essentials. I’ve got food and electric so I’m alright for now, but obviously when it comes to paying my bills, that’s going to have a knock-on effect for me.”
He said the Big Issue is helping him arrange to get food parcels delivered to his home, which will help with costs, but he’s stressed about the uncertainty.
“It is quite stressful,” he said. “It could be a month, it could be three months, it could be six months. I don’t really know.
“I’m 44 and I’ve seen nothing like this in my lifetime.
“I think it’s going to be quite a while until things get back to normal, but until then there’s nothing we can really do.”
For more than five years, John Williams has relied on the Big Issue for income. He was a vendor in Westonsuper-Mare before relocating to his hometown of Swansea last year.
Up to six days a week, you’ll hear him outside Waterstones shouting: “Big Issue, Big Issue, you know you want it.”
The 51-year-old first turned to the publication for help after struggling with an addiction to alcohol and cocaine. It started in his early teens after his mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour and he struggled to cope.
After many stints in rehab, he finally got clean and sober in Weston-superMare in 2005.
A friend later told him about the Big Issue – a magazine that proved to be a lifesaver for him.
“I know without the Big Issue, I wouldn’t have what I got now. It helps me keep clean and sober and it helps me financially, which I’m grateful for,” he previously told sister publication SomersetLive.
But speaking to WalesOnline since the outbreak of Covid-19, he said everything has changed.
The stability he was once so grateful for has quickly been wiped away by the virus.
“I’ve been out of work about two weeks. It’s a struggle,” Mr Williams said.
“I’m lucky the council are paying my rent but some are struggling more than me. It’s hard at the moment, [I’ve] got to count every penny.”
He said it was clear he would have to stop selling the magazine at some point with the threat of the virus looming and crowds disappearing from the high street.
He said: “I wasn’t happy [with the decision] and a few other people weren’t happy but we knew it was going to happen sooner or later. People were getting scarcer and scarcer and scarcer.
“[Swansea] is very deserted, but where Waterstones is, it’s like a ghost town. You wouldn’t think it’s a city.”
He said the Big Issue has supplied him with some funds to stay afloat, and emotional support, but he’s had a number of sleepless nights since stopping work.
“It’s not enough to live on, it just about covers the bills,” he said.
“I wish they could do more, moneywise, but it’s hard times, I suppose.”
Despite the long history of the magazine, he says he worries whether it will still be around when the lockdown comes to an end.
The coronavirus is predicted to have long-lasting effects on the UK economy.
Despite government support and furlough schemes, many businesses are struggling to pay rent and bills, while keeping staff on the payroll.
The Big Issue, not immune to any of the financial implications of the crisis, say they are doing their best to recoup the money lost during the pandemic.
Beginning on April 2, the magazine appeared on shelves in Sainsbury’s and McColl’s stores – a temporary measure to boost sales until vendors are able to return to work.
In a statement, the company said: “The listings in Sainsbury’s and McColl’s are the latest in a series of innovations by The Big Issue Group to provide readers with alternative ways to purchase the magazine and help support vendors up and down the country in the face of adversity.”
In store, the magazine costs £3, and 50% of net proceeds are put into a vendor support fund. This pool of money is helping the business support its struggling vendors.
Speaking to the Echo, sales and operations director Chris Falchi-Stead, said: “There’s no doubt about it, and I can’t sugar coat it, it is very difficult at the moment for a lot of our vendors.
“We’ve got a lot of vendors who need constant support at this time, and we will be there to deliver that as best we can.”
He said the company is helping vendors to apply for Universal Credit as well as financial assistance from the emergency fund.
“If a vendor is really struggling to pay their rent we may be able to help,” he added.
“If they’ve got some emergency problems with food and affording that we’ve been sending out supermarket vouchers.
“It’s about ensuring they’re in the system and are being supported by the government.”
Though it’s impossible to say when lockdown measures will be lifted and people will resume daily life, the Big Issue says it expects to survive the pandemic.
Mr Falchi-Stead said: “Nothing is going to beat that face-to-face interaction that our customers have with our vendors.
“And we are working flat out to explore all the different avenues we can to ensure that we can keep going.”
In addition, the magazine can be bought through a three-month subscription service, or purchased digitally online.
He added: “I’m confident we can see this out.
“Obviously there are lots of unknowns, but I’m confident we can get through this if we get support from the public, which has been amazing so far.
“We might not be on the streets in the same way we were before, but the support we’re providing is still very much there.”
A couple of weeks ago it was jam-packed and now it’s like a ghost town. There’s nothing happening
Vendor Mark Richards