THE BIG ISSUE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

An early Christmas present   received  by this blog is   the   above    calendar , bought in Brisbane   by one of  our  correspondents  .   The  Big Issue is  a   street newspaper    issued fortnightly  in four continents, run by a not for profit organisation  providing income and work opportunities for  people unable to  access mainstream  employment .  Vendors of the magazine receive half the cover price of the $9  newspaper ; in the case of the calendar , they  get  $12 of  the  $20  cover price .

Apart from  The Big Issue magazine, programs include the Women’s Workforce and The Big Issue Classroom, as well as  the Community Street Soccer.

People come to The Big Issue from a wide range of circumstances, including homelessness, long-term unemployment, intellectual and physical disability, mental illness, drug and alcohol dependency and family breakdown. It says its programs provide low-barrier opportunities for people to earn a meaningful income, build their confidence and connect with their community and support networks.

The above cartoon in the  2023 Calendar  is by Andrew Weldon who  has been  involved with The Big Issue  since its  first edition  in June  1996, vendors  having sold 14 million  magazines and collectively earned  $35 million   in   that   period. 

Covers of The Big Issue .