The Big Issue is suffering its greatest ever losses. The street newspaper saw a 50% loss in sales last week, and if London goes into lockdown no vendors there will be able to work at all.
“We may not even have a magazine by next week if our vendors are not allowed to be on the street and there’s no one to buy it,” says Lord John Bird, the Big Issue’s founder, who says he is “fighting to keep the magazine alive”.
Since its launch in 1991, 200 million copies of The Big Issue magazine have been sold by over 100,000 people.
“Around 2,500 people sell the Big Issue over a year,” Lord Bird says. “But if there’s no magazine, there’s no income for our vendors. This is a vulnerable workforce.”
Meanwhile, if London or other cities lockdown, homeless people may face being cleared off the streets to a hostel affected by coronavirus. Many are already sleeping outside rather than going to shelters.
Homeless documentary maker Paul Atherton slept the night at Heathrow Terminal 5, last night, where dozens of destitute people sleep.
“I’m not sure if I’ve had the virus as the symptoms are similar to chronic fatigue, which I suffer from,” he says.
“But how can I self-isolate? And if they lock down the city where the hell will I go? The Government needs to block book empty hotels and house us, or trial Universal Basic Income.”
On Wednesday, in Leicester, David Bailey, 50, only sold a single Big Issue this week.
“There’s about half the people you’d expect normally coming through but those who are coming aren’t stopping. Everyone is working from home, but I can’t.”
Formerly homeless himself, Lord Bird wants to know where 1,500 homeless Londoners will go if they are no longer allowed on the streets.
“We can’t leave sick people on a mattress on a church floor,” he says.
“We’ve got to keep the Big Issue alive. We’ve spent 29 years saying we give a hand up not a hand-out.
"But this is an emergency. It’s time for hand-outs.”
Today is one of the most uncertain days of Paul Atherton’s life – and also his 50th birthday.
HOW TO HELP
Subscribe or support your seller with a one off payment, via bigissue.com.
To send Paul a 50th birthday present email realbritain@mirror.co.uk
