Today (Monday 10 June) Big Issue Group is launching an exciting new partnership with brain injury charity SameYou, helping brain injury survivors return to work with the support of Big Issue Recruit Job Coaches.

In a survey, conducted by Big Issue Group and SameYou, of more than 300 brain injury survivors and carers, a third of respondents felt they did not feel ready to return to their jobs post their brain injuries. And of these 53% of survivors said they had to return for financial reasons.

46% of survivors have needed to claim benefits since their brain injury. Over two-thirds (68%) of these say their benefits were not enough to cover their regular bills and expenses.

27% of brain injury survivors said that they felt pressure from an employer to return to work before they were ready. 1 in 5 survivors who returned to work rated the support they received from their employers as ‘Poor’ and over 50% of survivors had to make some changes to either their role, their employer or the hours on returning to work, as a result of their brain injury.

SameYou was founded by actor Emilia Clarke MBE and her mother, Jenny Clarke MBE, to support brain injury survivors with their recoveries. Emilia suffered two life-threatening brain haemorrhages while starring as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO series Game of Thrones. She’s been interviewed in this week’s Big Issue, out today, about the difficulties of returning to work after experiencing a brain injury.

“When you have a brain injury, because it alters your sense of self on such a dramatic level, all of the insecurities you have going into the workplace quadruple overnight,” Clarke told the Big Issue. “The first fear we all had was: ‘Oh my God, am I going to get fired? Am I going to get fired because they think I’m not capable of completing the job?’”

Emilia’s brain haemorrhages occurred between filming seasons, so only a handful of the team working on the show were told straight away and she was back at work weeks after her first brain injury. In front of thousands of people and cameras, she found herself fearing that she was dying of another brain haemorrhage because of the stress and pressure. She remembers thinking: “Well, if I’m going to die, I better die on live TV.”

The new partnership between SameYou and the Big Issue Group aims to help survivors like Emilia cope with the often overwhelming prospective of returning to work after their brain injury. 61% of respondents to their survey said they would have benefitted from a Job Coach to ease their return to work.

Big Issue Recruit supports people who face barriers to work with finding sustainable employment, and this partnership will expand this support to brain injury survivors and their carers. Individuals will work one-to-one with expert job coaches to get back to work. Big Issue Recruit works with candidates, pre, during and post-employment to ensure this employment is truly sustainable.

Jenny Clarke MBE, CEO and co-founder of SameYou, said: “This research clearly highlights the many complex challenges that people who have experienced a brain injury face when going back to work. Survivors have reported pressures to return before they’re ready, as well as problems with financial difficulties, benefits and even an increased risk of homelessness.

“We’re proud to be partnering with Big Issue Recruit, supporting brain injury survivors and their carers, with their return to work by building their confidence and finding the right employment pathways for them.”

Paul Cheal, CEO of the Big Issue Group, said: “There is a clear need to create more support and clear pathways for those returning to work after experiencing a brain injury. 

“We are pleased to extend the work of Big Issue Recruit, to a wider group of people who face barriers to work – brain injury survivors and carers of people who have experienced a brain injury. These are often a forgotten group of people in society.   

“By partnering with SameYou, our ambition is not only to highlight the challenges that brain injury survivors encounter in returning to work or finding a new role, but also to work together to bolster the support we offer candidates by adding a Job Coach to the Big Issue Recruit team to specialise in this area of need.” 

If you would like to sign-up to use the service as a candidate or to learn more about how your business can support people with barriers to employment into work, visit jobs.bigissue.com, email jobs@bigissue.com or call 0207 526 3200.

Emilia Clarke has spoken exclusively to the Big Issue about the incredible strength it took to survive and recover after two brain injuries.

Clarke suffered two life-threatening brain haemorrhages while starring as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO series Game of Thrones.

She has been interviewed in this week’s Big Issue, out today (10 June), about the difficulties of returning to work after experiencing a brain injury.

• Half of all homeless people have a brain injury. This project provides essential support
• Emilia Clarke and her mum made MBEs for setting up brain injury charity

“When you have a brain injury, because it alters your sense of self on such a dramatic level, all of the insecurities you have going into the workplace quadruple overnight,” Clarke told the Big Issue. “The first fear we all had was: ‘Oh my God, am I going to get fired? Am I going to get fired because they think I’m not capable of completing the job?’”

Clarke’s brain haemorrhages occurred between filming seasons, so only a handful of the team working on the show were told straight away, and she was back at work weeks after her first brain injury.

In front of thousands of people and cameras, she found herself fearing that she was dying of another brain haemorrhage because of the stress and pressure. She remembers thinking: “Well, if I’m going to die, I better die on live TV.”

Emilia Clarke and her mother founded their charity SameYou in 2019 to develop better mental health recovery for those who suffer brain injuries and advocate for change. The charity is now partnering with Big Issue Recruit to support survivors and their loved ones into work with the help of BIR specialist job coaches.

“Having a chronic condition that diminishes your confidence in this one thing you feel is your reason to live is so debilitating and so lonely,” Clarke, 37, recalls. “One of the biggest things I felt with a brain injury was profoundly alone. That is what we’re trying to overcome.”

In the interview, Clarke speaks candidly about how she felt she “couldn’t carry on” after a brain injury and how she asked medical staff to let her die, because she thought she would never act again. But she thrived since, and she knows others can too, saying: “It has given me a superpower.”

Read the full interview with Emilia Clarke in The Big Issue magazine on sale from today (June 10).

There has been a great deal in the news recently regarding welfare reforms planned by prime minister Rishi Sunak, aimed at the so-called “sick note culture” that is said to exist in the UK.  

Sunak claims benefits have become a “lifestyle choice” for many people and are causing a “spiralling” welfare bill for the government and the public purse.  

The prime minister pointed towards recent stats from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), showing a “worrying” proportion of younger potential workers among a record high of 2.8 million people out of work as of February 2024. Rishi Sunak has since outlined his intention to implement reforms that push people from this group into paid jobs.   

However, ONS reported that, of this number, there are just 280,000 people that are currently ‘economically inactive’ who have given reasons other than caring for a loved one, sick, student, being retired or being “discouraged”.  

Things have ramped up even further since, as it was announced recently that the government is considering significant changes to the disability benefits system. Reforms to personal independence payments (PIP) could include stopping regular cash payments and instead offering claimants one-off grants for things such as home adaptations. 

Over the past 18 months, I have led and grown a specialist recruitment service, Big Issue Recruit, which provides those facing barriers to work with the training and support they need to enter the workplace.  

Like the government, we believe that, with the right approach, people can be moved into sustainable employment. However, Big Issue Recruit’s mission is to give marginalised people the same access to jobs as everyone else. Therefore, we believe the solution to ensuring people facing barriers to work find sustainable and fulfilling employment is to put in place measures and programmes that offer bespoke support for individuals on a case-by-case basis.   

• ‘A groundbreaking initiative’: Why employers are working with Big Issue Recruit
• ‘After 200 rejections, Big Issue Recruit helped me land the ideal job for me’
• Big Issue Recruit aims to get Britain working

The prime minister isn’t acknowledging the fact that many people who have never worked or been out of work for some time really struggle to get into sustainable paid employment. Many don’t have the confidence or resilience to compete in the current job market. They are often held back due to a lack of digital skills, health, low confidence or previous setbacks in their life or career. People face a multitude of obstacles, from battling ATS systems to applying for sometimes hundreds of jobs and receiving limited or no feedback at all. It all serves to further dismantle people’s confidence.  

At the end of last year, Big Issue reported that an increase in sanctions is evidenced to have a direct increase on the number of people claiming disability benefits citing mental health issues. We have been contacted by hundreds of people who have shared harrowing experiences of proving their eligibility for benefits, leaving them in extreme distress, more impoverished and in some case suicidal.   

Our experience tells us that this is the worst possible state of mind in which to apply for work, represent yourself well and find sustainable employment. We believe that we have a much more effective method of bringing people back to work and it’s cheaper.   

The game-changing element of Big Issue Recruit is that our job coaches provide tailored one-to-one support from the very first meeting, where they will discuss the ways that they can work with the candidate to mitigate barriers and, crucially, build the candidate’s confidence over the coming weeks or months.  

Our job coaches often provide the first point of a resilience network – we transform people’s perception of work and what they can achieve. Meanwhile, the government’s “sick note culture” rhetoric simply serves to dismantle people’s confidence.  

Big Issue Recruit is a person-centred service, supporting individuals pre-, during and post-employment. Our candidates range from prison leavers, caregivers, those with skills gaps, to people experiencing social, health, financial or digital barriers to work.  

On signing up, candidates are partnered with a personal job coach to understand and determine their needs and goals. Our coaches build confidence, skills and resilience and coach individuals through the selection process to secure their desired roles. Finally, job coaches will work with candidates to establish a great relationship with their new employer and support them in their new role and career on an ongoing basis.  

We recently reported more than £755,000 of social value in Big Issue Recruit’s first year of operation. To date, we have registered and supported 250 candidates with 106 securing employment, while 153 candidates have achieved work readiness.  

We have shown that, with the right approach we can get the right people with the right skills into sustainable employment. We would urge the government to review our model to make sure that their welfare reforms do not leave those facing barriers to work out in the cold. We want to see taxpayers’ money invested in scaling solutions like Big Issue Recruit, working with major employers to get more people back into work and create system change through inclusive practices and workplaces of the future.  

Now we have proved the service works, with every £1 we spend generating £2.80 of social value, and we are growing. We are seeking employers to work with us to fill their vacancies and bring new candidates into the labour market.   

Katy Wright is Big Issue Recruit’s programme director. To learn about how your business can support people with barriers to employment into work, register now. View the Impact Report at Big Issue Recruit.  

• With 1 in 5 Britons now living in poverty, more people are turning to the trusted social enterprise
• Nearly 4,000 individuals have been given access to income generating opportunities and employment through the Group’s innovative and varied services – a 10% increase on 2022
• The online reach of the Big Issue’s award-winning journalism has grown by 57% in 2023, with 7.9 million unique users consuming its trail-blazing news and advice

Big Issue Group’s 2023 Impact Report, published today (Monday 13 May), shows a stark rise in reach, support and engagement in its services as the impact of the ongoing poverty crisis solidifies, leaving millions of Britons trapped in poverty.

The report shows that the Big Issue Group has made major strides towards its ambitious goal of engaging 11 million people by the end of 2026, with number of people reached and impacted by its work rising to 9.6 million in 2023 – a 24% increase on the previous year.

It’s set against the backdrop of a stark rise in UK poverty that’s left more people needing support as they grapple with ever-escalating mortgages, rent costs, energy bills and food prices^[1]. As one of the country’s leading social enterprises and B-corps, the Big Issue Group has spent the past three decades developing innovative services that change lives through enterprise.

More than 1 in 5 people are now in poverty in the UK and 3.8 million people are reportedly living in destitution in 2022, including around one million children^[2]. This is almost two-and-a-half times the number of people in 2017.

Selling the Big Issue remains one enterprising solution for people facing poverty to generate an income. 913 people sold the magazine for the first time in 2023, and £4 million was collectively earned by vendors across the UK, an 8% increase on 2022.

The need for trusted news and advice on social issues has never been greater. In 2023, 7.9 million unique users sought out Big Issue exclusives on issues impacting people feeling the bite of the cost-of-living crisis, from energy price fluctuations to universal credit changes. This has resulted in a remarkable 57% increase from last year in traffic to Big Issue’s award-winning online journalism.

The Group’s social investment arm, Big Issue Invest, has improved the lives of 1.5 million people through the 140 purpose-driven organisations they’ve invested in. It backs passionate social entrepreneurs to deliver projects that work for their communities, with around £45 million of assets under our management in 2023, a 20% growth on last year.

229 individuals were supported on their journey to employment through our person-centred recruitment service Big Issue Recruit. Dedicated to finding sustainable employment for people who face barriers to finding work, such as people struggling with their mental health, Recruit has ultimately placed 85 people into new job opportunities.

Paul Cheal, CEO of the Big Issue Group, said: “Our enterprising solutions to support people in poverty, be it direct or through our work with other organisations, are making a real difference to people’s lives. Whether though our work with vendors, our social investments, our person-centred recruitment service, or the impact of our campaigning, we’re determined to unlock social and economic opportunities that help millions endure the poverty crisis the UK is currently facing.

“We’d like to thank those who have supported us, be it readers, partners or investors. This report demonstrates that our work is needed more than ever.”

Read the full report to find out more about our work, and find out how you can support us today: bigissue.com/big-issue-group-impact.

^[1] There has been a stark rise in UK poverty rates in 2023: https://www.jrf.org.uk/uk-poverty-2024-the-essential-guide-to-understanding-poverty-in-the-uk#_-poverty-has-increased-close-to-pre-pandemic-levels

^[2] More than 1 in 5 people in the UK (22%) were in poverty in 2021/22 – 14.4 million people: https://www.jrf.org.uk/uk-poverty-2024-the-essential-guide-to-understanding-poverty-in-the-uk

Big Issue Group’s (BIG) work reached 9.6 million people in 2023 signalling a stark rise in reach, support and engagements with its services as Brits continue to be trapped in an ongoing poverty crisis.

The annual Big Issue Group Impact Report showed a 24% increase in the number of people reached by the organisation’s work. The group is hoping to reach 11 million people at the end of 2026.

That’s against a backdrop of rising poverty across the UK with more people needing support for escalating mortgages, rent costs, energy bills and food prices.

More than one in five people are now in poverty in the UK and 3.8 million people are reportedly living in destitution in 2022, including around one million children. This is almost two-and-a-half times the number of people in 2017. 

One of the country’s leading social enterprises and B Corps, the Big Issue is continuing to come up with innovative solutions to the crisis to change lives through enterprise.

Paul Cheal, CEO of the Big Issue Group, said: “Our enterprising solutions to support people in poverty, be it direct or through our work with other organisations, are making a real difference to people’s lives.

“Whether through our work with vendors, our social investments, our person-centred recruitment service, or the impact of our campaigning, we’re determined to unlock social and economic opportunities that help millions endure the poverty crisis the UK is currently facing.  

“We’d like to thank those who have supported us, be it readers, partners or investors. This report demonstrates that our work is needed more than ever.”  

The impact report showed selling the Big Issue magazine remains an enterprising solution for people facing poverty to generate an income.

A total of 913 people sold the magazine for the first time in 2023, and £4m was collectively earned by vendors across the UK, an 8% increase on 2022. 

In addition, there was a 57% increase in the number of people reading the Big Issue’s journalism online. In total, 7.9 million unique users sought out Big Issue exclusives on issues impacting people feeling the bite of the cost of living crisis, from energy price fluctuations to universal credit changes. 

Big Issue Group’s social investment arm, Big Issue Invest (BII), improved the lives of 1.5 million people through the 140 purpose-driven organisations they’ve invested in. BII backs passionate social entrepreneurs to deliver projects that work for their communities, with around £45m of assets under its management in 2023, a 20% growth on last year. 

Big Issue Recruit (BIR) also supported 229 individuals on their journey to employment. BIR is dedicated to finding sustainable employment for people who face barriers to finding work, such as people struggling with their mental health and placed 85 people into new job opportunities in 2023. 

Head here to read the full report and find out how you can support us today.

Today, Friday 19 April 2024, the Prime Minister has unveiled a series of welfare reforms he wishes to roll out if the Conservative government wins the next general election.

In response to his proposal Paul Cheal, CEO of the Big Issue Group, said: “Like the Prime Minister, we believe that, with the right approach, people can be moved into sustainable employment.

“However, we believe the solution to ensuring people facing barriers to work find sustainable and fulfilling employment is to put in place measures and programmes that offer bespoke support for individuals on a case by case basis.  

“We launched Big Issue Recruit (BIR), our specialist recruitment service, in 2022, with a very clear objective: to give marginalised people the same access to job opportunities as everyone else. BIR is a person-centred service, supporting individuals pre, during and post-employment. Our Job Coaches work closely with all candidates to ensure they are upskilled in appropriate areas and equipped with the tools required to successfully move into, and sustain, employment. Our candidates range from prison leavers, caregivers, those with skills gaps, to people experiencing social, health, financial or digital barriers to work. We recently reported more than £755,000 of social value in BIR’s first year of operation. To date, BIR has registered and supported 229 candidates with 102 securing employment.

“We have shown that, with the right approach we can get the right people with the right skills into sustainable employment. We would urge the government to review our model to make sure that their welfare reforms do not leave those facing barriers to work out in the cold.”

For further comment, please email press@bigissue.com.

-ENDS-

New figures show how Big Issue Group (BIG) has tackled the cost of living crisis head on by
supporting thousands of people affected by poverty to earn and find employment in the last year.

Almost 4,000 people were given the opportunity to change their lives through enterprise in the previous 12 months across the group’s services, including by selling the magazine or being helped into work through Big Issue Recruit (BIR).

To get involved with Big Issue’s National Vendor Week, click here.

The figures, released as BIG puts the spotlight on vendors for National Vendor Week, show that the number of people the group has helped grew by 8% year-on-year as the cost of living crisis continued to bite.

That work has resulted in the delivery of £5.3 million of social value to the UK economy – including £4m generated through sales of The Big Issue magazine and £1.3m through BIR’s work to help marginalised individuals move into the full-time workplace.

• Big Issue Group’s specialist recruitment service reports more than £755,000 of social value in first year
• Big Issue sellers celebrated in the House of Lords for National Vendor Week

BIG CEO Paul Cheal said the statistics show that Big Issue’s model could demonstrate how to help people affected by poverty into sustainable employment.

“We believe that the government’s Back to Work scheme requires further consideration and enhancement to truly serve the needs of marginalised people,” he said.

“There is a huge opportunity to get more people into work and generate an enormous amount of social value in the UK.”

Overall, BIG supported 3,716 vendors to earn an income, delivered 1,400 hours of employability and skills training to marginalised individuals, and enabled 85 individuals to access new forms of employment through its BIR service.

That comes at a time when inflation and rising prices have hit households hard and pushed more into poverty, while stagnation has pushed the UK economy into a recession.

There has been a 148% increase in the number of people experiencing destitution since 2017, while 3.8 million are living in the deepest levels of poverty and struggling to afford essentials.

As of July 2023, 520,000 people were facing unemployment across the UK for six months or more – making up 35% of all individuals who are without work.

However, with nearly one million job vacancies in the UK and 531,200 skill-shortage vacancies in 2022, BIG’s success shows the potential of helping more people into sustainable work, Cheal added.

“If those 520,000 individuals could all be supported into employment opportunities through services like BIR, it could generate a potential total social value of more than £12 billion for individuals, communities, and the UK economy,” said Cheal.

“At a time when the country is facing an incredibly challenging economic recession, this is an approach we believe the government should take.”

This week BIG invites people across the UK to join us in celebrating individuals affected by poverty who are earning a living and working their way out. Together, we can forge a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive in work, regardless of their background or circumstances.

To get involved with Big Issue’s National Vendor Week, click here.

The government must reduce the number of people locked into in-work poverty. It is the silent threat to the life chances of so many. And for the country. Today, around two-thirds of working-age adults in poverty live in a household where at least one adult is in work. Increasing numbers are finding themselves in insecure low-quality jobs which lack guaranteed hours to give certainty of guaranteed, consistent income. Sustained low-quality employment has significant knock-on impacts for an individual’s health and wellbeing. 

Change a Big Issue vendor’s life this winter by purchasing a Winter Support Kit. You’ll receive four copies of the magazine and create a brighter future for our vendors through 2024 and beyond

However, an increase in sanctions for people who do not take on any roles offered to them will have the opposite effect, creating increased fear, stress levels and mental health issues for those affected.  

At the end of last year, the Big Issue reported that an increase in sanctions is evidenced to directly increase the numbers of people claiming disability benefits citing mental health issues. We have been contacted by hundreds of people who have shared harrowing experiences of proving their eligibility for benefits, leaving them in extreme distress, more impoverished and, in some cases, suicidal. 

There is a different way possible. And we urge government decision-makers to listen to what we’re doing and see our blueprint for success. 

For the last two years, we have been building Big Issue Recruit to give marginalised people who face barriers to work the same access to jobs as everyone else. And we have managed to prove not only that we can do it, but that there is both appetite and a market for our approach. 

• Success stories herald the future for Big Issue Recruit
• Big Issue Recruit aims to get Britain working
• ‘I beat addiction. Big Issue Recruit showed me I can help others fight their demons, too’
• ‘After 200 rejections, Big Issue Recruit helped me land the ideal job for me’

From this perspective, we share the government’s aim of bringing people back into employment and off universal credit and other benefits so people can earn, learn and thrive. But we know there is more to it. 

As I write this piece, the rate of unemployment in the UK is 4.2%, and 1.45 million people aged 16+ are unemployed.  

Unemployment levels have increased by 206,000 on the year and were 77,000 above pre-pandemic levels. However, with nearly one million job vacancies in the UK and 531,200 skill-shortage vacancies in 2022, more than twice the corresponding number in 2017 (226,500). 

We believe there is a flaw at the heart of the government’s Back to Work Plan which will only exacerbate the current situation and risks, leaving vulnerable people in a worse position. 

We have now worked with hundreds of people from across the UK, with a wide variety of background and experiences, who approached us to find good-quality jobs and sustainable employment. Our candidates are highly motivated and genuinely want to work but face very real and varied barriers. 

Our person-centred, strengths-based approach has enabled our job coaches to get to know each candidate, develop a tailored journey to becoming work ready and then place them in appropriate roles. It has also allowed us to identify a common barrier experienced by the vast majority of our candidates – and this is the lack of confidence they present with, after years of existing in a system that does not meet their needs.  

Every single candidate has benefitted from an increase in wellbeing through our service, and Big Issue Recruit’s job coaches are often the critical first connection in a professional network. This builds our candidates’ resilience so they can navigate the barriers to employment and find work that will meet their individual needs. 

We welcome additional support announced in the Back to Work plan, such as increased access to talking therapies and an increase in the local housing allowance, for example. These initiatives will go some way to removing barriers to work if delivered within a holistic support package.  

For every job coach we employ, we can support over 75 people back into employment in a year, creating an estimated £1.4 million in social value. We urge the government to abandon the punitive and pointless sanction regime and divert the tens of millions which are currently being wasted on fighting people who are appealing benefits decisions.  

We want to see taxpayers’ money invested in scaling solutions like Big Issue Recruit, working with major employers to get more people back into work and create system change through inclusive practices and workplaces of the future.  

Katy Wright is Big Issue Recruit’s Programme Director

This article is taken from The Big Issue magazine out this week. Support your local vendor by buying today! If you cannot reach your local vendor, you can still click HERE to subscribe to The Big Issue today or give a gift subscription to a friend or family member. You can also purchase one-off issues from The Big Issue Shop or The Big Issue app, available now from the App Store or Google Play.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? We want to hear from you. Get in touch and tell us more

Big Issue Recruit (BIR) has helped more than 100 people overcome barriers to work in just one year, new figures show – and created more than £750,000 of social value.

Stable employment can protect people from the worst of the cost of living crisis. But finding a job isn’t always easy. For marginalised people – those facing poverty, hardship, or other obstacles to work such as disability or illness – this job search is even more difficult.

Big Issue Recruit – The Big Issue’s specialist recruitment service launched in 2022 – helps marginalised candidates do just that. At its one year anniversary, BIR had registered and supported 109 candidates, its new impact report reveals.

Of these, 80 have so far been put forward for vacancies, with 43 securing employment.

“Our candidates are highly motivated and genuinely want to work but face very real and varied barriers,” said Katy Wright, programme director at BIR.

“Our person-centred, strengths-based approach has enabled our job coaches to get to know each candidate, develop a tailored journey to becoming work ready and then place them in appropriate roles.”

Mokhammed Moradi, 42, was one of the successful applicants. Forced to leave Kyiv, Ukraine, and flee to the UK 12 months ago, he turned to BIR for help. Now, he works as a warehouse operative at C&C, a premium drinks company.

Change a Big Issue vendor’s life  by purchasing a Winter Support Kit. You’ll receive four copies of the magazine and create a brighter future for our vendors through Christmas and beyond.

“Shak [a BIR job coach] helped me with my interview, with what to do and what to say. He told me to follow the history and know a little about the company, and he told me questions to prepare myself for before the interview,” Moradi said.

“I was very happy when I got the job. I said to Shak: ‘Thank you for your help. I’m very happy. You helped me and it worked.’”

• ‘After 200 rejections, Big Issue Recruit helped me land the ideal job for me’
• I always loved translating for my family. Big Issue Recruit helped me land my ‘dream job’

Moradi is far from the only success story. Neil Reid took a few months out of work to care for his mother. Once she was better, BIR helped him find a job he loves – and regain his sense of purpose.

“Getting up and going to work makes you feel like you belong, like you have a place,” he told The Big Issue. “It gives everyone a reason to be around.”

Leventica Paun – another BIR candidate – always dreamed of being a translator. Big Issue job coaches supported her to find a job translating for Roma vendors.

“I am so happy… someone should pinch me and make me come back to normal,” she says. “It has been a very big thing for me, it has changed my life.”

The benefits extend beyond the wellbeing of the new employee, too. In its first year of trading to September 2023, Big Issue Recruit is estimated to have delivered more than £755,000 in social value. With a total cost base of £278,000, this means for every £1 spent on operational costs £2.72 of social value was delivered.

The Impact report is a huge vote of confidence in the BIR model, Wright said.

“Big Issue Recruit’s mission is to give marginalised people who face barriers to work, the same access to jobs as everyone else, and we have managed to prove not only that we can do it but that there is both appetite and a market for our approach,” she explained.

As the cost of living crisis bites, services like BIR couldn’t be more essential.

Some 1.45 million people aged 16+ were unemployed in October 2023. Unemployment levels increased by 206,000 on the year and were 77,000 above pre-pandemic levels.

Unfortunately, the government’s approach to dealing with this unemployment – placing sanctions on people on benefits who don’t find work – is flawed, says Wright.

“An increase in sanctions for people who do not take on any roles offered to them will… create increased fear, stress levels and mental health issues for those affected,” she warned.

“Our experience tells us that this is the worst possible state of mind in which to apply for work, represent yourself well and find sustainable employment.”

The government should redivert the tens of millions which are currently being wasted on fighting people who are appealing benefits decisions into scaling solutions like BIR, she said.

When former Big Issue vendor Leventica Paun was younger, she dreamed about being a translator.

“I’ve always translated in my Roma community and for my family,” she explains. “It was sort of a hobby.”

Paun had to drop out of school in year 11 to help care for her mum, who requires various mental health supports. But years later, part of her dream has “come true.” Now 25, she works as a Frontline Support Assistant with the Big Issue, providing guidance and training to our Roma-speaking vendors.

“I am so happy… someone should pinch me and make me come back to normal,” she says. “It has been a very big thing for me, it has changed my life.”

Paun moved to the UK with her parents when she was just eight months old, fleeing racism against the Roma community in Europe. As the little girl grew up, she had to start caring for her mum, a responsibility that ultimately took her out of school.

“I dropped off [from schooling] because I wanted to support her, she suffers from some mental health issues,” she recalls. “It was always me in charge of my mum because I know everything about her, so it’s always been me at the hospitals and appointments, I understand her.”

Alongside her caring responsibilities, Paun has held a variety of jobs, working on a casual basis for Pizza Hut and Amazon. She sold The Big Issue for a while at 18, and again a few years later. But she wanted to find something that “suited her better”.

• ‘After 200 rejections, Big Issue Recruit helped me land the ideal job for me’
• I quit work to care for my mum. Big Issue Recruit helped me find my sense of purpose again

How can Big Issue Recruit help people?

Helping people overcome barriers to employment is the mission statement of Big Issue Recruit. Nearing its one-year anniversary, BIR has supported more than 100 people in their job search – including Paun.

The BIR team helped Paun workshop her CV, job application technique and interview skills. Earlier this year, they supported her to successfully apply for the role with Big Issue frontline.

Paun’s been in the role since September – and couldn’t be happier. She helps Roma vendors access local services, visiting pitches and attending community meetings.

“The best part is I know I’m working with people who really care about me, who want to get the best out of me every single day,” she says.

“I have had some tough periods of my life. But when I’m at work, I stop overthinking everything, and concentrate on the things I have to do. I’m building a timetable and a life for myself.’

Paun is also back in education. She has just finished her foundation year in Business and Tourism and is getting ready to start her BA in January. One day, she wants to own her own small business. “A retail shop, something to do with clothes, I love fashion and trends,” she says.

But for now, Paun is very happy at the Big Issue. “When I’m at work, I can focus on helping others, helping the people I work with.,” she says. “That’s the best part.”

Big Issue Recruit is a specialist recruitment service, dedicated to supporting people who face barriers to joining the workforce into sustainable employment. It is a person-centred service and free to candidates, supporting individuals pre-, during and post-employment.

On signing up, candidates are partnered with a personal job coach to understand their needs and goals, build confidence, skills and resilience and coach them through the selection process, to secure the roles that are suitable for them – meaning that employers can find the right candidate who is more likely to stay in the position for longer.

Job coaches work with candidates post placement, to establish a good relationship with their new employer and support them to thrive in their new role.

Nearing its one-year anniversary, Big Issue Recruit is well on course in its mission to bring people from a more diverse range of backgrounds into the job market. Big Issue Recruit has supported 109 candidates in their job search, put 80 jobseekers forward for interviews, and enabled 43 people to secure positive employment.

To find out how Big Issue Recruit could help you into employment, or help your business to take a more inclusive approach to recruitment, click here.