On a cold winter’s day in June 1996, a group of people gathered on the steps of Flinders Street Station to launch the first edition of The Big Issue magazine. 30 years later, we’re celebrating our birthday next month with a national campaign designed to put more money directly into the hands of people doing it tough.

At the centre is a $30 collector’s edition magazine, on sale from Friday 5 June, with $18 from every copy going straight to the people selling the magazine – known as a ‘vendor’ – four times their usual income per sale.

Vendors come to The Big Issue from a range of backgrounds and circumstances, including homelessness, long-term unemployment, intellectual and physical disability, mental illness, drug and alcohol dependency and family breakdown. All share the common desire to change their lives through the power of work.

From the magazine to Women’s Workforce, Classroom and Street Soccer, The Big Issue creates practical opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage to earn an income, build confidence and reconnect with community. This is more than short-term relief. It’s a pathway forward.

Launching at a time of rising cost-of-living pressure and housing insecurity, the 30th birthday campaign and magazine creates a rare opportunity for vendors to significantly boost their earnings in a single month.

The 68-page collector’s ‘bumper’ edition features a striking gold foil cover and looks back on 30 remarkable years – celebrating the people who have shaped The Big Issue, from vendors and readers to supporters and contributors. This is a one-off edition created to mark the milestone and support vendors in a meaningful, practical way.

For many vendors, the cost of living has become the cost of survival. This initiative offers a practical, immediate way for people to earn more while highlighting a proven social enterprise model that has supported thousands of Australians over three decades.

Visit your local vendor from 5 June to pick up a copy of the special 30th birthday magazine. If you’re not close to a vendor, copies will be available at our online store from Tuesday 16 June.