Getting your weekly Big Issue in the hands of thousands of vendors up and down the country is no mean feat, especially at this busy time of year. This week, our London van run gratefully welcomed an extra pair of hands as actor Rose Williams pitched in to help with the deliveries.
Rose is best-known for playing the lead character Charlotte Heywood in the hit ITV adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sanditon, and for her role in the blockbuster Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, alongside Golden Globe nominated Lesley Manville.
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After her day of volunteering, Rose reflected: “Going on a van run with the Big Issue was a pleasure and a privilege.
“I’ve always loved the Big Issue, it’s a great read. It’s weekly, it’s current and there’s always a connection and a conversation that comes from buying one. It’s a wonderful magazine, so make sure you buy this Christmas time from your local vendor.”
Rose Williams helped our support team get hundreds of bumper seasonal special editions to vendors across the capital. They buy each copy for half the cover price, keeping the profit from each sale. At Christmas, your Big Issue will cost you £5, to put a little bit more in vendors’ pockets at a critical time of year. “It’s a real solid source of income for some people,” Rose added.
Rose also encouraged people who can’t reach a vendor to buy a Vendor Support Kit. “It includes training and tools for vendors to empower themselves to move out of poverty.”