“Sometimes the wind’s howling and the rain’s falling, and you’re just standing there,” he says. “I’ve made up a badge that says ‘I accept cashless payments’. It’s given me a big boost.”
Christmas is a vital time for Big Issue vendors. It’s a period during which they usually thrive, benefitting from increased high street footfall and festive generosity. But as fewer people carry cash, their winter livelihoods could be put at risk. Our vendors are all too familiar with the dispiriting refrain: “Sorry, no cash.”
In 2022, three-quarters of adults (74%) used cash only occasionally or rarely. That’s why Big Issue and giffgaff have joined forces, connecting all vendors with free refurbished devices to help them take cashless payments quickly and easily.
The partnership comes following a 2023-24 trial, which saw 250 vendors increase their magazine sales by an average 30% with the refurbished devices – which could mean up to an extra £520 per year each.
Building on the success of the trial, giffgaff and Big Issue are now planning to roll out refurbished devices to all eligible vendors across the UK, helping them take cashless payments, while also connecting them to essential services and support.
The phone is just fabulous. It has literally doubled my sales overnight
As well as backing our vendors, giffgaff is also donating 400 phones to Big Issue Recruit, a specialist recruitment service that helps vulnerable people overcome barriers to sustainable employment.
The giffgaff phones are particularly useful in the lead-up to Christmas, says Felipe Ramirez, who coordinates Big Issue’s national cashless programme. “The public are a lot more generous with their time and their money during the festive season,” he says. “It makes it much more worthwhile for our vendors to brave the cold to meet the surge in demand for our magazines.”
The festive period is supposed to be one of celebration. But for people in poverty, it can be the toughest time of the year. More than a third of the UK’s poorest families rely on charity food parcels at Christmas, a 2023 Save the Children survey revealed. Over half of parents worried about being able to afford presents, while 65% said they would have to cut back on essentials like food and heating.
Big Issue vendor numbers surge as cold weather and financial pressures bite, says Catherine Parsons, managing director of Big Issue Changing Lives CIC. The CIC is Big Issue’s frontline arm, working to support our vendors and Big Issue Recruit candidates.
“Christmas is a very difficult time for people in poverty and at Big Issue we see more people who want to sell the magazine than at any other time of year,” she says. “It is a valuable opportunity for people to earn additional income.”
Bristol vendor Constantin Mustafa uses his new device to “provide for his family”. His wife hasn’t been well, so the extra income is all the more important. “I also have heart issues so I’m praying that I have good health,” Mustafa says. “Otherwise we have everything we need and feel grateful.”
The giffgaff phones aren’t just about facilitating a greater number of sales, Parsons explains – they allow our vendors to “stay in touch with loved ones and other support networks at this time of year”.
Christmas can be a lonely time: 4% of people spend Christmas alone, an Observer poll showed. Around a quarter of Brits feel extra lonely during this time period, too, according to YouGov research.
Maria is a vendor in London, but her children live with her mother in Romania. She uses her phone to stay in contact with her family.
“All I want is for them to be well,” Maria says. Selling the Big Issue gives her hope that she can provide a better life for her children. Her customers are a “second family” to her.
“I would like to thank my customers from the bottom of my heart. They always buy the magazine from me, some even twice a week. They are wonderful people,” she says.
Rostant – who has been working hard to help other vendors – describes the giffgaff support as “brilliant”.
“I’ve been doing peer-to-peer mentoring to help set other [vendors] up with giffgaff devices,” he says. “Everyone I know who uses it finds it fantastic.”
The London grandfather is looking forward to Christmas Day – a well-deserved day off.
“I have the very good fortune to be surrounded by a loving family,” he says. “So I will be enjoying myself with my loving family on Christmas Day.”
Support your local vendor this Christmas by buying a magazine, subscribing online or purchasing a £35 Vendor Support Kit. bigissue.com/christmas
