People from all backgrounds and identities sell The Big Issue, especially in the multicultural melting pot that is London. The pair currently donning the iconic red tabards on a bright spring day around King’s Cross station, however, are among the more unusual you’re likely to meet. They are John and Dame Mary Perkins. Dame Mary, along with her husband Doug, co-founded Specsavers in 1983. The company has grown to become the UK’s leading high street opticians and audiologists, a partnership of almost 2,000 locally run stores, with each store part-owned and managed by its own directors. Dame Mary and Doug’s son, John, is Group CEO and Head of Sustainability.
Partnership Goals
They are here to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by people who sell The Big Issue, and to shape Specsavers’ ongoing initiative to support one of the most vulnerable groups in our society. Specsavers has partnered with Big Issue Group to give our vendors free eye tests, glasses and ear health checks. It’s part of a larger initiative by Specsavers to make an impact on homelessness in the UK, working with charities Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP), Crisis and Simon Community, alongside Big Issue Group.
Lobbying for Change
In addition to providing practical, on-the-ground solutions like eye tests and free glasses, the company is also working with Big Issue founder Lord John Bird to lobby parliament to improve community-based eyecare and improve accessibility for everyone.
A Day as Vendors
Spending a day in the shoes of Big Issue vendors and working alongside people who do this day in, day out, is an eye-opening experience for the Specsavers team. “This is tough; have no qualms about it,” admits John. “You are out on your feet all day, you have to be vulnerable and have conversations with strangers as they walk past. This is really difficult.” For Dame Mary, a qualified optometrist with over 50 years of experience, the most shocking part is how invisible someone perceived to be in poverty can be, even in a distinctive red tabard. Often, people don’t want to acknowledge her at all. “I’ll put my hand up here and say I did try to give one away for free. I told them they didn’t need to pay, and they didn’t want a free one. It’s not easy to do this,” she says.
The vision I had was that we were there to change people’s lives through better vision, and that we were there for everyone
Dame Mary Perkins, co-founder of Specsavers
Fortunately, two experienced vendors, Lee Gibbs and Mick Morrow, are on hand to show Dame Mary and John how it’s done. Their crash course in selling The Big Issue syncs neatly with the philosophy in which Dame Mary founded Specsavers. “The vision I had was that we were there to change people’s lives through better vision,” she says. “And that we were there for everyone.” This commitment to inclusivity is at the heart of Specsavers’ partnership with Big Issue Group.
Addressing Accessibility
John explains: “It’s really important for us. We want to improve the accessibility of eye and hearing care for people experiencing homelessness. We believe that access to better care is a fundamental human right for everyone.” However, as Dame Mary and John discover during their day selling the magazine, there are significant barriers for some to access the care they need. Big Issue vendor Lee, who has been selling the magazine for two and a half years, shares the problems people can face accessing eyecare. “I have a number of friends who are almost off-grid, which means they’re not known to the system. So if they have to go somewhere and give their details, they won’t go. If the second question is, ‘What’s your address?’ that’s the end of the conversation.”
