Big Issue North

What Big Issue North does

Big Issue North is a registered charity (charity number 1056041) and social enterprise operating in the North West, Yorkshire, and Humber regions of England. It is part of The Big Life Group, a larger charitable parent organisation. The core function is providing approximately 350 self-employed vendors with opportunities to earn an independent income through the sale of The Big Issue magazine, which vendors purchase for £2 and sell at £4 RRP, keeping the £2 profit per sale. The model is designed to address poverty and homelessness by offering dignified self-employment rather than traditional charity, with no fixed time limit on how long individuals can work as vendors. Approximately 300 active pitches are maintained across city centres and out-of-town areas, established through relationships with local shopkeepers, city centre management teams, and local agencies.

Name

Big Issue North

Legal name

Big Issue North Trust

Website

https://bigissuenorth.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Issue North is a UK registered charity (1056041) and social enterprise operating in North West, Yorkshire, and Humber, providing approximately 350 self-employed vendors with dignified income through The Big Issue magazine and supporting merchandise. Part of The Big Life Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Enterprise Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Retail-Variety Stores (5331)

akta.pro primary industry

Newsstands & Periodicals Retail (Newspapers/Magazines) (CRALAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA), Magazine & Newspaper Subscriptions / Delivery Retail (CRALAAAH)

Keywords

• Street newspaper publishing
• Social enterprise magazine
• Charity vendor support
• Community retail merchandise
• Homeless self-employment

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Sales Revenue Share: Vendors purchase magazines for £2 each and sell for £4 RRP, keeping £2 profit per sale. During Christmas bumper issues, vendors purchase for £2.50 and sell for £5, earning £2.50 profit per sale.
2. Product Sales (Merchandise): Sale of branded merchandise including calendars (£10), Christmas cards (£6 for pack of 10), wrapping paper, socks (£12.99/pair), t-shirts, books, and records. All profits support vendor support programs.
3. Magazine Subscriptions: Subscription revenue from The New Issue quarterly magazine (£40/year) and potentially main Big Issue magazine subscriptions. Subscribers save £1 per magazine on postage compared to newsstand.
4. Charitable Donations: Donations to Big Issue North Trust (registered charity 1056041) supporting vendor services including housing assistance, skills training, ID provision, and breakfast clubs. Text giving: BINORTH to 70970 to donate £5.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Big Issue North is a non-profit social enterprise that sells The Big Issue street magazine through a network of approximately 350 self-employed vendors across the North West, Yorkshire, and Humber. Vendors purchase magazines for £2 and resell at £4 RRP, keeping £2 profit per copy. The organization also sells merchandise (calendars, Christmas cards, socks, t-shirts, books) and a quarterly magazine subscription, with all profits supporting vendor services including housing assistance, skills training, ID provision, and breakfast clubs.

Product overview

Big Issue North operates as a business solution to social problems, providing approximately 350 vendors across the North West, Yorkshire, and Humber with opportunities to earn an independent income. The core product is The Big Issue magazine (vendors buy for £2, sell for £4, keeping £2 profit), supplemented by a range of merchandise and subscription products sold through their Big Cartel online shop. Key products include The New Issue quarterly magazine (£40/year subscription), annual calendars (£10), Stanley Chow-designed Christmas cards and wrapping paper, limited-edition Stanley Chow x Stand4Socks socks (£12.99), Street Noise t-shirts, and the book 'Elvira and Me'. All profits fund vendor support services including housing assistance, contactless payment devices, ID provision, bank account opening, skills training, and breakfast clubs. Big Issue North Trust (charity number 1056041) is part of The Big Life Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The New Issue: A quarterly magazine containing real stories beautifully told, with stunning photography combined with high-quality independent writing, covering social issues, lifestyle and fiction. All profits support Big Issue North vendors.

Products and services

• The Big Issue Magazine The flagship weekly street magazine sold by self-employed vendors across the North West, Yorkshire, and Humber. Vendors purchase copies for £2 and resell at £4 RRP, keeping £2 profit per sale. Christmas bumper editions sell for £5 with vendors earning £2.50 per sale.
• The New Issue Magazine A quarterly long-read magazine produced by Big Issue North featuring stunning photography and high-quality independent writing covering social issues, lifestyle, and fiction. Available via annual subscription at £40/year. All profits support Big Issue North vendors.
• Magazine Subscription Service Mail subscription for The Big Issue magazine with three tiers: 12 months for £153, 6 months for £85, and 3 months for £45. Subscribers save £1 per magazine on postage versus newsstand pricing.
• Big Issue North 2026 Calendar Annual wall calendar featuring vendor stories and partnerships. The 2026 edition, created with Street Paws, celebrates the bond between vendors and their pets. RRP £10, with all proceeds supporting vendors or Big Issue North Trust.
• Big Issue North x Stanley Chow Christmas Cards and Wrapping Paper Exclusive Christmas cards and wrapping paper featuring original designs by Manchester artist Stanley Chow. Cards available in packs of 10 for £6; wrapping paper in packs of 5 sheets with penguin, Santa, and elf designs.
• Big Issue North x Stand4Socks Limited Edition Socks Limited-edition socks designed by Stanley Chow in collaboration with Stand4Socks. Designs include graphic minimalist, Christmas Elf, Santa Claus, and penguin. Priced at £12.99/pair, with 100% of profits going to Big Issue North. Every pair sold triggers a donation of socks to someone experiencing homelessness.
• Street Noise Event T-shirts Limited edition t-shirts sold at and around Street Noise music events. Available in black, grey, and metal colors. All proceeds support vendors working rather than begging.
• Elvira and Me (Book) A collaborative photographic book by Ciara Leeming and Ramona Constantin documenting the life of a young female Romanian migrant in Manchester. Written in English and Romanian, challenging stereotypes of Roma people. Produced with support from Big Issue North Trust.
• Vendor Support Services Comprehensive support services for self-employed vendors including housing assistance, financial guidance, healthcare support, skills training, bank account opening help, ID provision, contactless payment device provision, home furnishing packages, breakfast clubs, and Christmas gift bundles. Delivered through regional offices in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and Sheffield.
• Big Issue North Trust Charitable Donations Registered charity (number 1056041) raising funds to support vendor services including access to housing, bank account opening, ID assistance, home furnishing packages, and contactless payment devices. Accepts donations via JustGiving and text-to-give (BINORTH to 70970 for £5).

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 350 people earn income weekly through selling The Big Issue in the north of England
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Street PawscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered charity (1178826) partnered with Big Issue North for 2026 calendar highlighting the importance of pets to people experiencing homelessness and barriers to accommodation that accepts animals. Calendar features vendor Nathan and his dog Rolo.
• Stand4SockscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManchester-based sock company. Collaboration on limited-edition Stanley Chow designed socks. For every pair of charity socks sold, Stand4Socks donates a warm, durable, antibacterial pair of socks to someone experiencing homelessness. Has donated over 150,000 socks since inception.
• Stanley ChowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCelebrated Manchester artist with bold, unmistakable vector style. Created exclusive designs for Christmas cards, wrapping paper, socks, and calendars. Has worked with Manchester United, The White Stripes, and The New York Times.
• International Network of Street Papers (INSP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK charity representing street papers globally. 92 street papers operate in 35 countries. INSP supports Big Issue North through Journalism Training Academy providing those with homelessness experience chance to voice their stories. Global Summit held including in Liverpool in 2024.
• The Big Life GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organisation of Big Issue North. Provides strategic direction and organizational support. CEO Fay Selvan leads response to housing policy and social issues. Group includes various social enterprises and support services.
• Hus Forbi (Danish street paper)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish street paper similar to Big Issue North. Lukas Graham collaborated with 20 Hus Forbi vendors to record 'You're Not The Only One' (Redemption Song). Both support people who are homeless or socially vulnerable.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Contributor (Nashville): US street paper using the same vendor-sold magazine model to combat homelessness. Operates as a non-profit with a comparable social-enterprise structure.
• Spare Change News: Boston-based street newspaper sold by homeless and low-income vendors. Directly comparable to Big Issue North's vendor-distributed social-enterprise model.
• The Big Issue: National UK street paper and parent brand of Big Issue North. Operates the same magazine-vendor self-employment model at national scale and shares The Big Life Group affiliation, making it the closest direct comparable.
• Street Sense Media: Washington DC street newspaper using homeless and low-income vendors to sell a biweekly paper. Directly comparable social enterprise with journalism-plus-vendor-income model.
• Real Change News: Seattle-based street newspaper employing the Big Issue-style vendor model. Directly comparable mission and distribution mechanism, providing a useful North American benchmark.
• Hus Forbi: Danish street paper explicitly referenced as a peer in Big Issue North's partnerships. Uses the identical vendor-distributed magazine model to support people experiencing homelessness, making it a directly comparable international peer.
• L'Itinéraire: Montreal street paper sold by homeless vendors under the same self-employment model. A directly comparable international peer within the INSP network.

Others

• Crisis UK: Major UK national homelessness charity. Not a street-paper competitor but addresses the same beneficiary population and competes for the same donor and corporate-partnership funding pool relevant to Big Issue North Trust.
• Centrepoint: UK youth homelessness charity providing housing and support services. Adjacent peer: similar beneficiary demographics and donor pool, different service model (housing vs. street-employment).
• Shelter: UK housing and homelessness charity. Adjacent peer competing for similar individual and corporate donations, with overlapping policy and campaigning activity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bigissuenorth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8ABWIYPnh0bhCiEckE-eMw
• Facebookfacebook.com/bigissuenorth
• Instagraminstagram.com/bigissuenorth
• Pinterestpinterest.com/bigissuenorth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bigissuenorth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Issue North