The Big Issue - UK (2020-03-09)

Charity’s

mobile clinic

a ‘godsend’ for

homeless pets

NottinghamcharityVetsinthe

Communityarehittingtheroadina

newmobileclinictoboostthehelp

theycanbringtoBigIssuevendorsand

theirbelovedpets.

Thecharityprovidesfreecaretothe

petsofhomelessandvulnerablyhoused

people.Theirnewpurpose-builttrailer

istheresultofa two-year,£30,

fundraisingcampaign.

It’svitalwork– animalcompanions

playa crucialroleinthelivesofmany

BigIssuevendors,offeringcompany

andsupportwhileoutonthestreet,and

oftengivingasenseofpurposeandresponsibility.

SinceVetsintheCommunity(VitC)wasfoundedin2012,vet

studentsfromNottinghamUniversityhavecarriedoutwellover

2,000consultations.

Long-timeBigIssuesellerShane,38,reliesonVitC.Hisdogs,

SiberianhuskyMrFangandone-year-oldBernesemountaindog

LoopyLou,havereceivedfreeroutinecheck-upsandtreatmentthat

wouldbeprohibitivelypriceyelsewhere.

“VetsintheCommunityhavebeenhelpingmeforovera year,”said

Shane,whoseregularpitchisonClumberStreetinNottingham.“Mr

FanghurthispawandVitChelpedhimoutwiththat.Theygivehim

regularcheck-upsandhelpoutwithfleaanddewormingtreatments.

“They’vebeenincredible,whattheyaredoingisanabsolute

godsend.I’vealwaysstruggledwithmentalhealthproblemsbut

havingthedogsinmyworldgivesmea focus.They’vebeenmyrock

whentherehasn’tbeenanyoneelse.”

TheBigIssuehasbeena long-timepartnertothecharity,having

previously housed it in our Nottingham distribution office.

Asthenumberofcoronaviruscasesgrowsin

theUK,peoplewhoarehomelessorsleeping

roughcanbeespeciallyvulnerable.Thatiswhy

TheBigIssueislookingoutforourvendors.

Oursalesandoperationsteamsnationwide

havestockeduponsanitisergelsandare

displayingposterswithNHSguidanceon

washinghands,ensuringthatvendorsareaware

ofallofficialadviceintherapidlychanging

situation.BigIssueteamsarealsoworkingclosely

withspecialistagencies,charitiesanddaycentres

inournetworks,tohelpmagazinesellersaccess

supportandadvice.

Thosesleepingroughareparticularly

susceptibletoCovid-19,asmanyhaveunderlying

healthproblemsandfrequentlyhavelimited

accesstowashingfacilities,whilecomplying

with the NHS’s recommended 14-day period of

self-isolationislikelyproveespeciallydifficultfor

roughsleepers.

LucyAbraham,thechiefoperatingofficerof

homelessnesscharityGlassDooranditsnetwork

ofshelters,toldTheBigIssuethatitisstillunclear

howself-isolationwillworkfortheirresidents,

whocannumberupto 35 a nightpershelter.

“Wehadactuallyalreadyidentifiedthatthe

guidancetoself-isolateandcall 111 looksvery

differentwhenyousleeponthestreet,because

wheredoyougo?”shesaid.“Youmightnothave

accesstoa phone.It’snotappropriatetobeon

thestreetswhenill.Soquiteearlyonwewroteto

variousauthoritiestoasksomeofthequestions,

themainonebeing:whatdoesself-isolationlook

likeif youarestreethomeless?

“Atthemomentitisstillfairlyunclear.

The thing for us is that we are deliberately an

open-accessshelterandwedon’twantany

barrierstoaccessingourservice.”

HomelessnesshealthcharityPathwayhas

calledonthegovernmenttoensurethatthere

are“adequatecontingencyplans”forpeople

whoareroughsleepingorinhostelsthatcan

be“rapidlyactedupon”.Theyhavealsoasked

forquarantineaccommodationfromlocal

authoritiesaswellasfundingforcleaningand

distributionofhandsanitisers.

“Life’shardenoughwhenitcomestoliving

onthestreets,”addedAbraham.“Thereareso

manychallengesalready,andthisisjustyet

anotherchallenge.”

Inthemeantime,thebestthingBigIssue

readerscandotohelpvendorsisstop,have

a chatandbuya magazine.Lonelinessand

marginalisation remain a great danger.

Fangsalot

ThecharitykeepsShane’s

dogs in tip-top condition

Covid-19 and rough sleepers: how can we help?

09-15 MARCH 2020 BIGISSUE.COM|p 9