BBC highlights negative coverage of begging affecting Big Issue sales

[AlanG]

Begging 'backlash' for Big Issue
Vendors are losing income
A slump in sales of The Big Issue has been blamed on negative media coverage of begging in Scotland's cities.

The magazine said its vendors are losing income because of a backlash against begging.

Accredited homeless people who sell The Big Issue have voiced concern that some other vendors are adopting an aggressive sales approach to compete with street beggars.

Others are said to have given up selling the magazine because they believe they can make more money from begging.


People are failing to distinguish between Big Issue vendors - who are out there working - and beggars
Kathleen Caskey
Big Issue spokesperson
Weekly sales of the magazine in Scotland, which was founded a decade ago to give homeless people an income, have fallen to about 30,000.

The Big Issue cited Aberdeen as an example of where recent publicity about begging may have had a negative impact on vendors.

Kathleen Caskey, spokesperson for The Big Issue in Scotland, said: "Our vendors in Aberdeen are reporting that they're selling about a third fewer magazines in the city than before there was this ill-informed outcry about beggars.

"People are failing to distinguish between Big Issue vendors - who are out there working - and beggars.

"Our vendors in Aberdeen are getting hurt in the pocket."

On the streets of Aberdeen the public appeared divided over the role Big Issue vendors played.

'Push harder'

One person said: "I don't know if it's employment but it's certainly more than begging."

Another said: "I don't regard them as beggars at all and they're doing their best to earn a living."

Kevin, a Big Issue seller from Glasgow, said he was often treated as a beggar.

He said: "People think because you're homeless, it wouldn't matter if you were standing there selling household goods, because we're homeless they look at us as if we're beggars anyway.

"It doesn't matter what we're doing, people think of you that way and because it's a magazine you're selling certain people think of you as a beggar.

"When you're in the homeless scene you're in a hostel and you know beggars and Big Issue vendors.

"The beggars are making a bit of money and vendors think they have to push it a bit harder."

So what does anyone else think of this? As far as im concerned selling the Big Issue is a good thing, I try and buy it every week and have only missed a few issues in past year. people complain about begging, but the Big Issue encourages the homeless to get into hostels and have a "job" during the day where they make an income from what they sell. The purpose of this is to ease the return to "normal" society for people who have been excluded as a result of a lot of bad shit thats happenned to them.

[kj]

when i worked in Woolies i used to buy it, but then stopped as i'm hardly in the town anymore during the day. I really aught to get back to buying it as its for a good cause and its a good way for people to get back on their feet if they spend the money they earn wisely.

I think that press seems to always want to focus on the negative aspects of society and this always has its repercussions elsewhere which is entirely unfortunate. If the press did more to focus on the positive aspects of society and the things that people do, the Big Issue and other charitable organisations like this, would get a better reputation.

[My First Kev]

yeah its the right thing to do.

ever felt guilty and end up buying more than one a week just so you dont seem like the cunt who says "I've already got it" when in actual fact you dont ?

as for the begging thing i think there is a big difference between a big issue vendor and a begger and anyone who can't tell that probably wouldn't buy it anyway.

[humndislocation]

I personally don't buy it. The way I see it is, I don't want the magazine, and the whole point of homeless people selling the big issue is so they can work rather than accepting charity. For me to buy a magazine I don't want would just be charity IMO.

When I was working in Edinburgh, a lot of the Big Issue salesmen were certainly as fucking annoying as beggars. If I say no, that means I don't want it, continuing to hassle me and trying to make me feel guilty will just make me not buy it out of spite.

[My First Kev]

i think their is a quite a bit of difference between "charity", which the big issue really is, and begging.

as for the magazine if you don't want it thats fair enough, but i could think of a lot worse ways to spend a pound.

[grigorip]

i dont ever read the magazine...but i think we should buy it...give the Big Isuue guys some slack....

has anyone seen the really really funny guy in glasgow between the main street on the way to the barras? he makes up his own songs and everything!