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BetterPod is the place to have these big conversations. Each week, we bring in the people who are acting to improve our shared future. We tell stories from the worlds of arts, science, politics and beyond – all the time focusing on solutions, on the constructive discussions that can help us all take action.

We want you to join our movement. You can take the first step towards a better tomorrow by subscribing now and telling your friends.

BetterPod is brought to you by The Big Issue's Future Generations team. A recent study by the NCTJ showed that some 80 per cent of journalists come from professional and upper class backgrounds. At The Big Issue we believe those aren't the only voices that matter. Through the Future Generations team, we offer a platform for exciting young journalists from underrepresented backgrounds to address the biggest issues facing us today.

Editor & producer: Laura Kelly

Illustration: Eleanor Bannister

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With lockdown starting to ease, we are really pleased that Big Issue vendors will be back on the streets next week, starting from Monday 6 July. 

Over the last couple of months, this podcast has celebrated the relationships between our vendors and their customers… the friendships that have grown out of The Big Issue.

In this special final edition of The Big Miss You Podcast, we hear from lots of our vendors – from all over the country – about what they’ve missed whilst they’ve been unable to sell the magazine... and what they're looking forward to.

The Big Miss You Podcast is produced by Laura Kelly with additional reporting by Liam Geraghty.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jim has been dealing with precarious housing - sleeping rough on and off - for a number of years. At the moment, he says he's "living entirely on other people’s kindness". He's had somewhere to sleep during the lockdown, but is unsure how long he'll be able to stay.

He says that he's seen pictures of Salisbury city centre and it looks empty without him. He's looking forward to getting back out to sell the magazine when Big Issue vendors start working again on 6 July.

The Big Miss You Podcast is produced by Laura Kelly, with additional reporting by Liam Geraghty.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Animal-lover Nick normally sells The Big Issue there, frequently accompanied by his dog Bryony. His regular customer Sally wanted to tell us how important Nick is to the community, and how kind he is.

Nick describes himself as a New Age traveller. He lives in a caravan on ground near the waterworks, with Bryony and his cat Meow. Though the lockdown has hit his earnings hard, he tells us that his connection to nature has given him something to smile about.

The Big Miss You Podcast is produced by Laura Kelly, with additional reporting by Liam Geraghty.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a normal morning, at 10.30am, you might see Jane’s customer Jane Blackmore coming out of the underground and nipping into Gregg’s to pick up a coffee and a sausage roll that she can drop off to her favourite vendor on her pitch. 

Jane Burns has been through a lot in her life - facing down serious health problems with an incredible resilience. For this podcast, she was generous enough to share her story of how she came to be selling The Big Issue with us.

The Big Miss You podcast is produced by Laura Kelly for The Big Issue UK, with additional reporting by Liam Geraghty.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jane and her husband Vic got in touch with The Big Issue to tell us about how much they’re missing seeing Colin for a catch-up when they’re out and about.

Jane and Vic have long enjoyed their chats with Colin, but earlier this year, they had a particular reason to feel grateful to him. Colin was the good Samaritan who came to Vic's aid after a fall in which he hit his head.

The Big Miss You Podcast comes out every Thursday. It is produced by Laura Kelly, with additional reporting by Liam Geraghty.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the community’s hubs is in Mae Douglas’s shop, The Write Stuff. Like Kenny, Mae is unable to do her normal job at the moment. She got in touch with us to send a message to Kenny, whose weekly visits to her shop she has been missing.

Kenny talked to us about how he's looking forward to seeing his family and his customers again. He also told us how he's been maintaining his recovery from addiction, whilst in lockdown.

The Big Miss You Podcast comes out every Thursday. It is produced by Laura Kelly, with additional reporting by Liam Geraghty.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon slept rough for seven years, bringing his tent all over England, before settling in the friendly city of Norwich. His positivity is remarkable. "I'm not going to tell you how bad my life's been, I'm going to tell you how great I want it to be," he says.

We're also visited by comedian Robin Ince, who tells us what Big Issue vendors mean to him as a "professionally nomadic" gigging performer.

The Big Miss You Podcast comes out every Thursday. It is produced by Laura Kelly, with additional reporting by Liam Geraghty.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

His friend Tom Bridger, an actor from Lincoln and regular weekly customer, wrote to The Big Issue to tell us about how much he was missing having the chance to sit down for a cup of tea with Richie.

In an emotional conversation, Richie tells about how much that message meant to him. “I miss all of my customers really badly,” he says. “Yeah, [The Big Issue] is just a magazine. But it's not just a magazine, it's my whole world. I just can't wait to get back to work.”

“He’s a very inspirational person, for me personally,” said Tom. “He’s always trying to help out people who are local.”

The Big Miss You Podcast comes out every Thursday. It is produced by Laura Kelly, with additional reporting by Liam Geraghty.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every week, as the magazine hits your doormat, this podcast will offer a space for vendors and readers to leave messages for each other. It’s a celebration of the thousands of conversations that The Big Issue sparks each week.

If you’d like to join in the Big Miss You conversation, go to bigissue.com to find out how.

The Big Miss You podcast is produced by Laura Kelly for The Big Issue UK. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.