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ENGLAND HOMELESS WORLD CUP 08
This year's England Homeless World Cup team has been announced. Visit the Homeless World Cup website for more details and support the team!
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SOCIAL ACADEMY LAUNCHES
The Big Issue in the North in association with Liverpool FC, Liverpool Hope University and the Team England Footballers Charity is to launch the Social Academy for young adults in Liverpool.
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WEMBLEY CHANCE
Want to win your child or grandchild the chance to walk onto the Wembley Pitch during an England game? Text HWC to 84424 and help raise money for our Homeless World Cup Team. See attached poster.
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The History of The Big Issue in the North

John Bird launched The Big Issue in London in 1991, with funding from Gordon Roddick of The Body Shop. The magazine was based on an idea from New York called Street News – a small magazine about homeless issues sold by people on the streets. Bird and Roddick were convinced that by changing the content to appeal to the general public, they could create a successful magazine and a means to help a burgeoning homeless population in Britian.

The Big Issue in the North started in December 1992 as a Manchester supplement within the London-based magazine. It began by distributing 2,000 magazines each week from a portacabin in Manchester city centre, before moving to rented accommodation in the Northern Quarter of Manchester, where the independent Big Issue in the North was created.

To tackle the increasing ill health of vendors and lack of access to mainstream health services, The Big Issue in the North Trust was launched in 1996. A big fundraising campaign, National Lottery money and a large regeneration grant from English Partnerships enabled The Big Issue in the North to buy a building in Manchester, where The Big Issue in the North moved to in May 1998.

The first office in Liverpool opened in 1994 and The Big Issue in the North began trading in Leeds in October 1995, and in 2001 moved to new premises. A sales office in Sheffield opened in 2000 and then in Hull three years later. Surther sub-offices, run by different organisations who sell the magazine on our behalf have recently opened in Carlisle, Preston, Doncaster, Kendal and Oldham.

The Big Issue in the North now produces a 48-page magazine sold in more than 120 towns and cities.

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