FAQS
Q: Who is The Big Issue?
A: The Big Issue is an independent organisation that develops and operates a range of social enterprises that provide opportunities for thousands of homeless and disadvantaged Australians to help themselves. The Big Issue offers a number of ways to connect homeless and disadvantaged people with the community including a new program assisting women.
Q: What is a social enterprise?
A: Social enterprises use creative and business-based approaches to developing innovative ways to tackle social issues and drive positive social change. Simply put, a social enterprise is a business that provides a benefit to society. The Big Issue for example provides a product (The Big Issue magazine) that people can then buy and it’s through these sales that homeless and disadvantaged Australians are able to earn money. The Big Issue Street Magazine Enterprise and Women’s Subscription Enterprise are true social enterprises in the sense that they do not rely on donations or government funding and are independent, viable, sustainable and self-funded businesses.
Q: I heard The Big Issue did get Government funding though for their Women’s program?
A: Yes, it’s true, The Big Issue was granted $1.2 million to kick start the Women’s Subscriptions Enterprise however after the initial start up period (of 1 year) the program will be fully self sustainable through the ongoing sale of subscriptions.
Q: So why did The Big Issue need the Government funding then?
A: The $1.2 million allocated by the Australian Government is helping The Big Issue kick start the Women’s Subscription Enterprise.
The money will be spent on setting up distribution centers, on marketing and business development and on wages and other support such as training, childcare and transport for the disadvantaged women during the start up period. Even though the Australian Government has provided some funding to kick start the Enterprise, subscriptions need to be sold to sustain and continue to grow the program.
Q: What is The Big Issue magazine?
A: The Big Issue magazine is a high quality, general interest publication that features arts and entertainment, current affairs, lifestyle and personal experiences. It is headed by Walkley-Award-winning Journalist and author Alan Attwood and attracts around 153,000 readers per fortnight.
Q: Can you tell me more about the program that will help women?
A: The Big Issue recognised there was a need for appropriate paid work opportunities for homeless and disadvantaged women and found that there was a market to sell subscriptions to The Big Issue magazine.
The Women’s Subscription Enterprise will employ women to collate, sort and send off the subscriptions every fortnight.
There is no pressure on the women themselves to sell the magazine. Once subscription sales are made, women are hired to work in Distribution Centres and take care of sending out the magazines.
Phase 1 of the program will see 9000 subscriptions sold by us and 90 women employed to dispatch the magazines. Basically, for every 100 subscriptions sold the Women’s Subscriptions Enterprise will employ one homeless or disadvantaged woman. The more subscriptions sold, the more women can be employed.
Q: How will the program actually help women get off the streets?
A: As subscriptions to the Magazine are sold, the money from the subscriptions will be used to pay the wages of disadvantaged women, and cover the costs of additional training, mentoring and support. The more subscriptions sold, the more women that can be employed.
By gaining financial independence, women in vulnerable situations will be given economic empowerment and the skills and ability to change their lives and have control over their futures.
Q: How much will they get paid?
A: The women will be paid the award rate, plus get access to further training pathways, travel and childcare allowances, work experience placements and flexible work arrangements.
The Enterprise enables homeless and disadvantaged women to earn a regular income while they develop their skills in a safe, secure and supportive work environment. The program will provide them with work experience and easily transferable skills to help prepare them for entry into other more mainstream jobs.
Q: What other programs does The Big Issue operate?
The Big Issue uses various business models to connect people with the community including the Street Magazine Enterprise (which is where vendors sell copies of The Big Issue Magazine on street corners around Australia’s capital cities), the Community Street Soccer Program (whereby homeless and disadvantaged people attend weekly Street Soccer training at sites around the country and are linked through to homeless and counseling services) and The Big Issue Classroom (where secondary school students visit The Big Issue for a presentation from one of our vendors).
Q: How do you find the women?
A: The Big Issue is working closely with community agencies in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide to employ 90 disadvantaged women for the start up phase of the Enterprise.
Q: Why can’t they sell on the streets like the other vendors?
A: Many homeless women are fleeing domestic or family violence and are usually accompanied by children.
As a result women often experience homelessness differently from men. For women, there can also be the additional torment of physical, sexual, emotional, social and cultural abuse.
The Women’s Subscription Enterprise gives women in vulnerable situations the opportunity to earn money in a safe and secure environment.
Q: So will they work at a distribution centre forever?
A: A big part of the Women’s Subscription Enterprise is mentoring, on the job training, access to further training pathways and work experience placements for all the women.
The provision of certified training will give participants easily transferable skills and prepare them for entry into the mainstream workplace following their involvement with the Women’s Subscription Enterprise.
Q: Can any woman take part in the Program?
A: The Program is aimed at disadvantaged women. Disadvantage can encompass a range of circumstances such as: homelessness, fleeing domestic and family violence, newly-arrived refugees, the long term unemployed, those with a physical or intellectual disability, and/or those with a drug or alcohol dependence.
Q: Will the introduction of this new initiative have any impact on those that currently sell The Big Issue on the streets?
A: We actually believe that the introduction of the Women’s Subscriptions Enterprise will have a positive impact on the vendors currently selling The Big Issue magazine as increased awareness and circulation is likely to increase overall vendor sales.
We also envisage that an increase in circulation will help to sell advertising, increasing revenue for the publication.
The focus of this initiative is selling subscriptions to businesses, not individuals, which is the primary market for vendors.
Q: Can men work for the Women’s Subscriptions Enterprise?
A: Our research has shown us that homeless and disadvantaged women need structured work in a secure and women’s only environment.
This is because they present with a far greater and more complex range of needs, including safety and security, mental and physical health, disability, and many times childcare.
As The Big Issue already operates the highly successful Street Magazine Enterprise, that has shown remarkable outcomes and positive changes predominantly for men, we are going to use the start up phase of this program to focus exclusively on the needs of homeless and disadvantaged women only.
Q: How can people get in touch with the WSE?
A: Women can get involved with the WSE through a referral from a community agency, or by contacting The Big Issue directly on 03 9663 4533 or by email: bigissue@bigissue.org.au.
Q: Can our business become more involved in other ways (not necessarily through buying subscriptions)? A: Sure! Businesses can make a donation to the Women’s Subscription Enterprise or perhaps consider championing the sale of subscriptions through their own networks by:
holding a Women In Business lunch
encouraging staff to participate in a subscriptions drive
profiling the Women’s Subscriptions Enterprise in news bulletins (internal and external) and/or on your website
There are plenty of opportunities for your business to be part of this groundbreaking program. To find out more contact The Big Issue on 03 9663 4533 or by email: bigissue@bigissue.org.au.
Q: Are subscription purchases tax deductible? The purchase of a subscription to The Big Issue magazine can be claimed as a business expense.