Acting today for a better tomorrow.

What world do we want to build for future generations? How can we face the challenges of today to make our society better? How can everybody act now to protect the environment and address climate change?

BetterPod is the place to have these big conversations. Each week, we bring in the people who are acting to improve our shared future. We tell stories from the worlds of arts, science, politics and beyond – all the time focusing on solutions, on the constructive discussions that can help us all take action.

We want you to join our movement. You can take the first step towards a better tomorrow by subscribing now and telling your friends.

BetterPod is brought to you by The Big Issue's Future Generations team. A recent study by the NCTJ showed that some 80 per cent of journalists come from professional and upper class backgrounds. At The Big Issue we believe those aren't the only voices that matter. Through the Future Generations team, we offer a platform for exciting young journalists from underrepresented backgrounds to address the biggest issues facing us today.

Editor & producer: Laura Kelly

Illustration: Eleanor Bannister

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since March, our vendors have not been able to sell The Big Issue on the UK’s streets. This measure has been essential to follow government guidance and keep everyone safe from Covid-19.

With lockdown starting to ease, we are really pleased that Big Issue vendors will be back on the streets next week, starting from Monday 6 July.

Over the last couple of months, this podcast has celebrated the relationships between our vendors and their customers… the friendships that have grown out of The Big Issue.

In this special final edition of The Big Miss You Podcast, we hear from lots of our vendors – from all over the country – about what they’ve missed whilst they’ve been unable to sell the magazine... and what they're looking forward to.

The Big Miss You Podcast is produced by Laura Kelly with additional reporting by Liam Geraghty.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we take a trip to the medieval cathedral city of Salisbury. Normally, that’s where you’d find Jim listening to violin music, while selling The Big Issue. For the last six years, Samantha has looked forward to visiting him for a chat every time she’s in the town. Their conversations about what’s in the magazine frequently lead on to talking about the politics of the day – they’ve had a lot to cover in recent years. 

Jim has been dealing with precarious housing - sleeping rough on and off - for a number of years. At the moment, he says he's "living entirely on other people’s kindness". He's had somewhere to sleep during the lockdown, but is unsure how long he'll be able to stay.

He says that he's seen pictures of Salisbury city centre and it looks empty without him. He's looking forward to getting back out to sell the magazine when Big Issue vendors start working again on 6 July.

The Big Miss You Podcast is produced by Laura Kelly, with additional reporting by Liam Geraghty.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.