2022 Brit nominee Sam Fender urges support for Big Issue sellers as high streets empty
Sam Fender is urging people to buy copies of The Big Issue at a time of crisis for the magazine's vendors as high streets are emptying due to the Covid surge.
The 27-year-old musician from North Shields is friends with an ex-vendor from his local area, Earl John Charlton.
The pair see each other "nearly every other day" when, on the way to his studio, Fender passes Charlton's workplace, the charity North East Homeless.
Fender has described Charlton as "a diamond, a true hero, a man of the people", adding his empathy has helped him through the problems he has experienced with his voice over the last year.
He is now calling on people to support sellers, who are homeless or vulnerably housed people, amid Plan B restrictions and emptier high streets.
Christmas would usually be the busiest time of the year for Big Issue sellers, who are self-employed and buy magazines for £2 before selling them on for £4 and cannot work from home.
Lord John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, added: "Once again we find ourselves in the sticky stuff."
On 18 December, Fender was announced as a nominee in three 2022 Brit Awards categories.
Album of the year
Artist of the year
Best rock/alternative artist