|This Best Practice is one of Best Practices for Human
Settlements presented in the MOST Clearing House Best Practices
Database. The Big Issue is a magazine sold by homeless people in
order that they can earn an income and regain their self esteem.
All post-investment profits generated by the magazine are
mandated to The Big Issue Foundation which provides the support
in order to help the socially excluded re-integrate into
society. The Big Issue has been instrumental in setting up
papers in Western and Eastern Europe, South Africa and
Australia. With financial backing from The Body Shop Foundation,
The Big Issue - Europe's first street paper was launched as a
monthly publication in September l99l, with a print-run of
30,000 and approximately 30 vendors. A year later it went
fortnightly and in June 1993, The Big Issue was re-launched as a
weekly magazine. 1. Since its inception, The Big Issue has given
over 6000 homeless people the opportunity to help themselves and
move off the streets through earning an inc