john duffy

My name is John Duffy and I’ve been involved with The Big Issue in one way or the other over the last 10 years. I was born in Manchester but by adulthood I was living in London where I married. Like many who find themselves thrust into a life on the streets, the catalyst for my spiral into homelessness was the break-up of my marriage. It hit me hard. I started drinking - drinking heavily on the streets of London.

My first experience of The Big Issue was when I initially wanted to try and get myself together and away from my life where drink was an everyday scenario. I started selling the magazine and after 6 months had got myself together enough to take a job abroad as a Bricklayer. A few jobs here and there, in between which time I returned to sell The Big Issue for the stability it gave to me, and I was in a position to consider setting up my own business.

I proudly set up a book franchise company in 2003. Maybe success came too quickly as I took more people on and got a friend involved as a partner in a matter of months. Things were going so well that I took a holiday... When I came back my world had fallen apart again. My business partner had built up a huge amount of debt and had also ran off with my money. I was bankrupt and back on the streets within days. But The Big Issue was still there for me.

In 2004 I returned to sell the magazine but this time realised I could help sales and vendors in central London and well as helping myself. I became a Vendor Coordinator for one of London’s prime selling locations, Oxford Street. This was only a voluntary position to start with but in May 2005 I got the job permanently. It did wonders for my self-esteem and at the same time I was helping other vendors to maximise their sales. I’d been there, they knew that and so I could really help. I wanted to put something back into The Big Issue which had always been there when I needed it and I’ve since helped open up a further five street distribution points in the centre of town. When I first started vendors were selling about 2,500 copies per week in central London. We are now looking at 18,000 in the same area and I’m proud to say it’s partly my achievement.

Most recently I have got myself a new job within The Big Issue Foundation. I am now a Service Support Broker, which allows me to directly help individual vendors and homeless people access the support and services they desperately need.