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Friday 23 Dec 2016

Christmas cheer for Birmingham New Street’s Big Issue seller

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

Birmingham New Street’s Big Issue seller is celebrating Christmas after a successful four months working from the station’s unique pitch.

Ken Swain started selling the national magazine earlier this year and has so far enjoyed his time working in the biggest and busiest station outside London.

Before securing the pitch inside the station, Ken sold the magazine for four months in Birmingham city centre. The station pitch offers a warm, dry and exclusive spot making Ken the envy of his fellow Big Issue sellers across the city.

Ken Swain said: "I had been selling in Birmingham for four months in the city centre and I was asked to vend on the Network Rail pitch in Birmingham due to my ability for selling and customer service skills. Since starting the new pitch things have gone really well for me. I have made extra sales and also new customers. By earning an additional income I am able to make sure the boat that I live on is shipshape and I am looking forward to continuing to build on the relationships I am making. I am really proud of how things are going, 2017 looks to be a good year for me and I hope I can keep going in the direction I am in.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has bought a Big Issue and look forward to seeing them all in the New Year.”

Patrick Power, station manager, said: “The station is a key part of the redevelopment of the city centre and it’s fantastic that we have been able to help Ken and provide him with this exclusive pitch to sell the Big Issue. He is now part of the station family and I’m pleased he is settled and happy working with us.”

Ken’s pitch can be found near Boots on the entrance and exit to the station heading towards New Street. It provides Ken with a chance to sell the magazine in an area with a consistently high number of people walking past.

The Big Issue is currently working with around 2000 sellers per week and works exclusively with people who are at times facing deep personal crisis, a prime and secure pitch at Network Rail acknowledges vendors dedication to their personal micro businesses.

It’s not the only Big Issue pitch in a Network Rail station. Euston unveiled the first location which has been a huge success since it was unveiled in 2014.

More than 170,000 people use the station every day which fully reopened in September 2015 after a £750m redevelopment. It was delivered as part of the national Railway Upgrade Plan and has transformed the transport hub into a fitting gateway to the second city.

For more information on the Big Issue visit https://www.bigissue.org.uk/

Passengers can check their travel details at www.nationalrail.co.uk.