Magid and Jon McClure to compete in Sheffield’s Big Issue challenge

Lord Mayor Magid Magid and Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure will go head-to-head in a competition to see who can sell the most copies of the Big Issue North.

The two local icons will battle it out in front of Sheffield Town Hall for an hour on Thursday, February 7 to mark international Vendor Week and raise awareness of the challenges sellers face.

Jon will be outside the Town Hall at 11.30pm and Magid will take his turn from 1pm.

Jon McClure selling the Big Issue as part of the event in a previous yearJon McClure selling the Big Issue as part of the event in a previous year
Jon McClure selling the Big Issue as part of the event in a previous year
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Fay Selvan, chief executive of Big Issue North, said: “This year’s Big Sell promises to really cast a light on the challenges our vendors face. It’s great to see people from all sorts of fields give their time to support vendors, and experience the reality of selling on the streets in all weathers.

“I’m proud that we’re doing the Big Sell for the fifth year running, joining other street papers around the world in raising awareness of the challenges facing the people who sell such magazines and hopefully boosting their sales. And for those people doing the Big Sell with a competitive edge, may the best salesperson win.”

Magid and Jon will sell alongside a Big Issue North employee and all money raised on magazine sales will go straight to the employee.

It will be the fifth year of the annual Big Sell, with previous participants including Maxine Peake, David Blunkett and George Galloway.

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Maree Aldam, chief executive of International Network of Street Papers who organised the event, said: “Vendor Week is an annual celebration of 9,000 vendors currently selling street papers around the world. Each one of these men and women – in 35 countries – is using their local street paper as a way to work themselves out of poverty.

“It’s especially important at this time of year, when you might be feeling the post-Christmas and New Year lull, to remember that vendors are still out there working hard in all weather.

“This year’s Big Issue North guest vendors will be joined by readers, business leaders, politicians and celebrities as far afield as the USA and Australia; who will all sell their local street papers to understand more about the challenges faced by vendors.”