About us

The Big Issue online journalism programme

Pic: Sharon: Trainee Sean Sales interviewing EOTO’s Sarah McLoughlin

The Big Issue and Poached Creative have collaboratively put together a six-week online journalism programme. The training programme is aimed at people who are homeless or marginalised and the long term unemployed. Trainees taking part in this programme, with interests in either writing or photography, will build skills and improve their employability. It will also give the trainees the chance to put together a portfolio and to get their work published through Answers From Big Issue, local newspapers and this blog. Fill in the form on our Contact us page to find out more or to refer someone for the next six-week journalism training intake in the September 2014 programme.

The programme is currently funded by the The Big Lottery Fund

The Big Issue

The Big Issue was launched in 1991 by Gordon Roddick and John Bird in response to the growing number of rough sleepers on the streets of London. The two set out to address the problem of homelessness by offering homeless people the opportunity to earn a legitimate income; to ‘help them to help themselves’. Twenty years on the organisation has helped thousands of vulnerable people to take control of their lives, and currently works with around 2000 homeless and vulnerably housed people across the UK. The Big Issue is seeking to provide a wider range of pathways to employment for people who are homeless or marginalised. Its online properties – Answers from the Big Issue and Big Issue Connect – provide an opportunity for trainees to contribute articles and photography to help ensure they remain up-to-date and engaging for a range of audiences.

Poached Creative

Poached Creative specialises in quality writing, editing and design services for charities, social enterprises and the public sector. As a central part of this we provide training and work experience to unemployed and disadvantaged people. We have run several successful media training courses over the past four years including our in-house communications training programme, BBC Hackney Academy 2012 and Reporting and Presenting for the Heart and Soul media team. Our trainers are all skilled and experienced practitioners who open up the worlds of journalism and photography for participants through practical and interactive sessions. Many of our former trainees have gone on to paid work in charities, not-for-profit and creative sector organisations.