Top names join INSP #VendorWeek Big Sell

The #VendorWeek Big Sell is gaining momentum as big names sign up for the fundraising event at the heart of INSP’s #VendorWeek celebrations.

From 2-8 February, street papers in the UK, Australia, America, Denmark, Switzerland and Greece will hold guest vendor events as part of the #VendorWeek Big Sell.

In the UK, guest vendors will sell The Big Issue and The Big Issue in the North for an hour in a sponsored challenge to raise money for INSP’s work.

Below is a full list of the 72 guest vendors who have signed up for the UK so far. We'll be adding sponsorship pages as they are available.

To sponsor your favourite guest vendor follow the links below. 

Don't know who to sponsor? Support the full team here.

Monday 2 February

London:
Fraser Nelson, Editor, The Spectator
Colin Murray, BBC sports and music presenter
Paul McNamee, Editor, The Big Issue
Dominic Laurie, BBC Business presenter

Julian Lloyd-Evans, MD Advertising, Dennis Publishing
Brendan O'Neill, Editor, Spiked
David Wilding, Director of Planning, Twitter UK

Sheffield:
Ian McMillan, poet
Tony Stacey, CEO of social landlord Syorksha

Manchester:
Kate Green MP (Labour)

Tuesday 3 February

Manchester:
Ian Munro, chief executive at New Charter Housing in Tameside
Bishop David Walker, Bishop of Manchester

Wednesday 4 February

Glasgow:

11am-12pm:
Richard Walker, Editor, The Sunday Herald & The National
Tony Carlin, Editor, The Evening Times
Marie Macklin, CEO, The Klin Group

12pm-1pm:
Twin Atlantic (whole band)
Garry Sweeney, Gabriel Brodie in River City
Adam Robertson, Dr Dan Hunter, River City

1pm-2pm:
Lauren Mayberry, Chvrches singer
Moray McDonald, MD, Weber Shandwick
Andrew Bartlett CEO; & Ruth Kelso Head of Learning & Development, Social Enterprise Direct
Colin Stone, reporter STV
Ruth Kelso, Head of Learning and Development at Social Enterprise Direct

2pm-3pm:
Stuart Braithwaite, Mogwai
Janey Godley, comedian
James Graham, Twilight Sad singer

3pm-4pm
Robert Florence and Iain Connell, comedians and Burnistoun stars
Robin McAlpine, Common Weal 
Fiona Godsman, ‎CEO, Scottish Institute for Enterprise
Ross McCulloch, Director, Third Sector Lab

Edinburgh:
9am:
Nikki Simpson, PPA Scotland
Alison Johnstone MSP (Green)

Manchester:
Allan Beswick, BBC Radio Manchester
Mike Burrows, Managing Director of Greater Manchester Academic Health Science Network
Dave Power, Chief Executive of City South Manchester Housing Trust
David Herne, Acting Director of Public Health, NHS Salford

Leeds:
Mark Burns-Williams, West Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

Liverpool:
Keith Mullin, The Farm
Ann O'Byrne, Labour Councillor
Dan Haggis, The Wombats

Thursday 5 February

London:
Kay Burley, Presenter, Sky News

Edinburgh:

9.30am:
Ewan Stark, Managing Director of S1

11am-12pm:
The View, band
Rt Rev John Chalmers, Moderator, Church of Scotland
Robert Carroll, Managing Director of MOV8 Real Estate
Niall Patterson, Chief Executive Abbeyfield Scotland
Lloyd Anderson Director, British Council Scotland

Edinburgh (near Scottish Parliament): 1pm-2pm:
Jackie Baillie MSP (Scottish Labour)
Margaret Burgess MSP (SNP) - Minister for Housing & Welfare
Christina McKelvie MSP (SNP)


2pm-3pm:
Sarah Boyack MSP (Scottish Labour)
Josh Littlejohn, Director Social Bite
Mike MacKenzie MSP (SNP)

3pm-4pm:
Johann Lamont MSP (Scottish Labour)
Angus MacDonald MSP (SNP)

Manchester:
Matthew Gardiner, CEO of THT

Friday 6 February

Sheffield:
David Blunkett MP (Labour)
Paul Blomfield MP (Labour)

Bradford:
Harry Leslie Smith, survivor of the Great Depression, RAF veteran & activist

Horsforth:
Stuart Andrew MP (Conservative)

Barnsley:
Alan Billings, PCC   

Leeds:
Stuart Andrew MP (Conservative)
Hilary Benn MP (Labour)

Liverpool:
Maria Eagle MP (Labour)

Saturday 7 February

Bradford:
George Galloway MP

For more information about the #VendorWeek Big Sell, please contact Laura Dunlop: l.dunlop@street-papers.org / 0141 302 6554

How street papers are celebrating #VendorWeek2015

In the first week in February, street papers around the world will take part in #VendorWeek, a huge celebration of street paper vendors that also challenges perceptions of poverty and homelessness.

#VendorWeek 2015 takes place 2-8 February with an international programme of events, activities and social media action planned by street papers in the UK, America, Canada, Europe and Australia.

Guest vendor events

The #VendorWeek Big Sell is INSP's flagship fundraising event during February. It sees
high profile people take on the challenge of selling a street paper, mentored by one of the paper's hardworking regular vendors.

In partnership with INSP, The Big Issue UK and The Big Issue in the North will hold #VendorWeek Big Sell fundraising events in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester.

The Big Issue Australia will once again run their CEO Selling campaign, in which 100 business leaders and politicians take up the street paper selling challenge.

Similar #VendorWeek Big Sell events are also being planned by Greece's first street paper Shedia in Athens, Hus Forbi in Denmark, Washington DC's Street Sense, One step Away in Philadelphia and Swiss publication Surprise in Basel, Bern and Zurich.

One Warm Winter

German street paper Strassenfeger will once again run their 'One Warm Winter' campaign to coincide with #VendorWeek. The fundraising drive asks the public to donate money to supply warm winter clothes for the Berlin's street paper vendors and culminates in a party for vendors.

Vendor events

Many vendor-focused events are also being organised to mark #VendorWeek. Austrian street paper Kupfermuckn will hold a portrait painting workshop exclusively for vendors to help them unleash their creativity. Afterwards, they will be treated to a party with music, food and drink.

Post by Kupfermuckn - Die Oberösterreichische Straßenzeitung.

To reward their vendors for all their hard work, American paper Homeward Street Journal are giving each of their vendors a free bundle of papers, which they would usually pay for at a discounted rate, to sell during #VendorWeek so they can earn more money.

A special Skype call to connect vendors in America and Canada is also being planned by Street Roots in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver street paper Megaphone.

Vendors and staff of Quebec street paper L’Itinéraire are planning a special promotional event during which they will read the magazine out loud in Montreal's subway cars. Vendors will also denounce austerity measures taken by the Quebec government with silent protests in different subway stations.

Social Media

INSP is leading the way to promote the event on Twitter and Facebook using #VendorWeek. This includes a mass tweet to celebrate street paper vendors around the world on 2 February, using crowdspeaking network Thunderclap. Everyone can join in here.

Join our online flash mob to celebrate #VendorWeek! Read how here: http://t.co/NHtTAIncfy pic.twitter.com/lP5LubiDlL
— INSP (@_INSP) December 21, 2014

Many of our member street papers also plan to harness the power of social media during #VendorWeek. Street Roots will tell the story of the street paper movement through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by sharing images and quotes from street paper vendors worldwide.

Macedonian street paper Lice v lice will share stories about their most successful vendors on their website and via social media.

Zeitschrift der Straße, a street paper based in the German city of Bremen, will use its blog and Facebook to share daily posts about international street paper magazines throughout #VendorWeek 2015.

#VendorWeek 2015 takes place takes place 2-8 February. Keep up to date by following @_INSP on Twitter and #VendorWeek.