I had just met a friend for a coffee and we were going together to walk down the Boulevard in Weston-super-Mare. As we reached the end of the High Street, I noticed a Big Issue seller on the corner The Big Issue is a street magazine, written by professional journalists and sold by homeless people which gives them a proper income, however small that maybe. I remember my daughter telling me that her friend Ella, always bought a Big Issue, and I felt a little guilty that I never did.
I approached the old gentleman selling them, and pulled some change out of my pocket.
“How much is it?”
“£2:50, please.”
“£2:50?” I exclaimed.
“Well, I have to pay £1:25 for each copy,” he explained.
I bought the magazine, and thanked him, and walked on with my friend.
I began to reflect on the conversation, and what I had said. £2:50, I’d spent almost that on a cup of coffee, why was I so begrudging to the elderly gentleman who clearly had no decent place to sleep, or people to care for him? I felt ashamed, and resolved to be like Ella and regularly buy Big Issue.
Lois Elsden 
Yes – it’s quite shocking from that perspective. I am duly ashamed too!
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My dad once walked up to a man selling the BI in London, and bought every last copy he had. The man was extremely happy! (Dad’s an English teacher, and wanted to use it in class back home in Norway). We’ve got the same deal here in Austria, and I try to get them regularly, however I don’t find the content very interesting.. still. It’s a lot nicer to buy a paper than it is to give money to beggars on the street, who may or may not see any of the money that you give to them anyway. Here it’s 2,50 Euro, but I usually give 4. Although I’m not good at regularly getting them…
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I as lucky with the issue I got, it was quite interesting! I will be getting it more regularly from now on, even though there is criticism of the scheme in hat it allows some people to take advantage of it to get other benefits… But it does really help vulnerable people… I’m committed now!
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We have The Big Issue here in Australia too. I found wonderful inspiration in one a friend bought and I bought the next edition the following day. Not the same level of inspiration, but a good feeling. The seller had a very entertaining sales call too.
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Some of them do, don’t they?! Makes me think of Dickensian times with the street calls – you remember the song from ‘Oliver’ – ‘Who will buy my sweet red roses?’
I remember an old aldy who would sell violets when i was a child ‘Vi’lets, luvly vi’lets!’
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