James Bradbury, a former Big Issue vendor, from Leicester, didn’t realise how far he could come or how much life would change for the better after starting to sell The Big Issue magazine. He said: “I was homeless, on the streets for 2 years before starting to sell The Big Issue and that’s how my life got back on track.’ 

James has seen his confidence increase hugely, to the point that he is now undertaking a training course in construction, he says ‘I love the course, it gets me motivated through the days and keeps my mind occupied on something that I want to do.’

James doesn’t want to stop there though; his ambition is to become an outreach worker and support people off the streets. He says, ‘I feel much more confident about getting into employment now.’ 

Through Big Issue Recruit James will have all the support and training he needs to see him move into sustainable employment and to realise his dreams.  

Read more about Big Issue Group’s Impact here.