'Tis the season to be jolly ... but it's also the season to spare a thought for the thousands of people around the world who will spend the lead up to Christmas out in the cold selling street papers.
To celebrate his local street paper vendors and raise awareness of the work they do, Glenn Hodge, a British singer songwriter from London-based folk band Glenn Hodge Banned, has
written and recorded a fantastic Christmas song just for The Big Issue.
Glenn explained that the song is inspired by a friend of his who helped to set up =Oslo, a magazine written and sold
by homeless people in Oslo, Norway.
"The friend became a big
influence on me and really opened my eyes to a lot of social issues," said Glenn.
"Things that were happening on my own doorstep that I’d perhaps been
blissfully unaware of before. I resolved to do whatever I could to help. I’m a songwriter and I
wanted to make a bit of noise for the Big Issue’s cause at this
particularly difficult time of year."
The result is Glenn's catchy festive tune 'Santa’s Coming Round'. The song's accompanying video was filmed in London and stars many Big Issue vendors on their pitches around the city.
Glenn added: “In the same way my mate
opened my eyes, I’m hoping this single and its accompanying film will
open the eyes of some of the people who hear and see it. Or at the very
least boost sales of the Christmas mags.”
