“I know I’ll get up next Thursday and put on a tie!”

Big Issue vendors are normally not allowed to sell the magazines in pairs, but on Thursday 29th January an exception was made! Selling in the Deli at Northern Trust, a bank in Canary Wharf, Ron was handing over the corporate placement that he has worked on for 13 months to George. It’s time for another vendor to benefit from the great opportunity that this one day a week corporate placement brings.

Ron was the first in-house vendor at the bank, and he admits “I was nervous on my first day, I didn’t know what to expect.”  Thanks to his reliability and friendly nature Ron has built up a strong network of support at Northern Trust, he’s got many friends and got to know his way around the building. He was therefore in the best position to provide George with a handover, introducing him to the regular customers, and showing him the ropes!

Ron wasn’t sure how he would be accepted when he started the placement, but he says he is “surprised at how successful it has been.”  On a Thursday he could depend on his sales, he knows his regulars will buy from him, but it’s not just the additional income that has made the difference. “I treated this like a job” Ron says. “I knew I had to get up in the morning and put on a tie. Getting to know the people here has also made a difference, they have been so kind to me and so supportive. I feel a lot more confident as a result.”

At the start of this placement Ron was in a very different place. He was living with a friend in a car, he wasn’t claiming his pension, and he struggled to make ends meet.  Thanks to the supportive environment at Northern Trust, and guidance from Connexions, Ron has now made a backdated claimed for his pension, applied for housing benefit, secured a small flat with everything he needs and even has some savings thanks to his increase in sales.

George will be taking over the placement for the next 6 months, during which time he will benefit from the employee support, improved sales, and also some mentoring and skills development. George is working hard to establish his own business and Northern Trust has offered to help him with his website and digital marketing.

Employees at Northern Trust are very sad to see Ron go, and presented him with a fantastic cake to mark the occasion. Ron knows that he will miss their support, “I know I’ll get up next Thursday and put on a tie!” he said, but he already has plans for the future. Northern Trust are excited to now be working with George, and looking forward to seeing the positive impact that the placement will also have on his situation.