Thanks for taking the time to visit our Christmas Appeal page for 2014. The Big Issue in the North Trust is a registered charity (no. 1056041) which helps vendors of The Big Issue in the North magazine. With your donation we can provide one-to-one workers to help people like Viktor reach the goals they set themselves - whether that's finding somewhere to live, getting back into work, improving their health or learning English, for example. 

Viktor had lost everything - his family, his identity documents, his job and his accommodation - and ended up on the streets. He started to improve his situation in January 2014 when he came to the office of The Big Issue in the North for an assessment to become a vendor. 

"For the last year selling The Big Issue in the North has kept me alive. It was there when I had no other options. Now I work regularly and I really like my pitch and my customers. They come to speak to me which helps me improve my English everyday. I tell them my story and people are surprised what I have been through. The Big Issue in the North is really important to people in need. The support workers are really good guys and they've been a great help to me. This year I managed to sort my birth certificate and have now applied for a new passport. I hope it will arrive in January so next year I can find a job and somewhere safe to stay. Despite all I still smile when I work. I believe in a better future for 2015. "