Prepared by: Sunny Oliver-Bennetts, The Big IssueVendors call or text in from 8am to 4pm to book their pitch for the day. When I dropped in for a visit, Jules was on the phone wearing a huge grin and giggling away. It was Nick, one of our many vendors with a wicked sense of humour; he also goes by the name of nick.com/http. Nick was calling to book his usual pitch which he calls ‘The hard basket’ – located on Hardware Lane and the Hard Rock Café in Melbourne.
Vendors pop in and out throughout the day to purchase their copies of the magazine for $2.50 which they will then sell on the streets for $5, keeping the difference. Some vendors will just drop in for a chat, seek some wise advice from Kirstie (who has been with us for over thirteen years) relax with a coffee and share a few stories from their pitch. This day-to-day interaction and ongoing support boosts their self-esteem, builds a sense of community and promotes social inclusion for vendors.
Generally there will be 1-2 new vendors a week that Vendor Support Manager Gemma will put through an induction and training process getting them prepared to sell. No matter what their background, everyone is welcome to sell The Big Issue magazine. After signing a code of conduct vendors receive their official The Big Issue badge.
Flat chat on a ‘release day’ (when the new edition hits the streets), the team were organising stock for distribution points (such as long-tern partners The Body Shop) and food for the fortnightly BBQ that afternoon.
On my way out, Jules shoots a big smile my way as she picks up the phone again, and I leave feeling yet again in awe of the dedication, patience, energy and unwavering commitment to vendors our Vendor Support teams around the country demonstrate every day for those who are homeless, marginalised or disadvantaged.
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