Glove thy neighbour as thyself….
We are very lucky at MOV8 Real Estate. After a long day of helping our clients to buy and sell properties around Edinburgh and the Lothians, we get to go back to our own homes and enjoy the comforts of warmth and shelter. However, particularly at this time of year, not everyone is as lucky as us. As winter closes in, we spare a thought for the homeless, many of whom are having to sleep outside in these conditions, many of whom are simply trying to survive. That’s why we are asking for your help on their behalf and in particular on behalf of the vendors of The Big Issue in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Here’s how…
The Big Issue requires no introduction. There are around 60 to 100 vendors in Edinburgh alone. They have ‘pitches’ throughout the city, all of them being homeless or living in sheltered accommodation. The vendors buy the magazine from the Big Issue at half of the retail price and then sell it for £2.50. Many of them work seven days a week, standing out on the street all day trying to sell as many copies as they can. They all have a different approach but one thing is consistent: they have to stand out in the cold and rain throughout the winter months including the post-Christmas lull in January when sales drop along with the temperatures.
So, how can you help us to help the Big Issue vendors at this time of year?
The ‘Spread the Glove’ campaign aims to equip Big Issue vendors with the basics that they need to stay warm and healthy through the winter months. Quite simply, they are asking that people donate unwanted gloves, hats and scarves for use by the Big Issue vendors. By donating your unwanted winter woolies you can help to make a massive difference to someone’s everyday life.
MOV8 is setting up collection points for the ‘Spread the Glove’ campaign in both of its offices, at 3-4 Commercial Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6JA and also 128 St John’s Road, Corstorphine, Edinburgh, EH12 8AX. For directions, see: http://www.mov8realestate.com/contact-us.html
If you can’t get to either of these offices you can pop them into the Big Issue directly at their office on Queensferry Road, just down from Frasers on the corner of Princes Street and Shandwick Place. For directions, see: http://goo.gl/maps/NfThJ
We simply ask that you also please spread the word to your colleagues, friends and family too. If you don’t have any winter woolies to give but would still like to donate something most supermarkets sell cheap gloves so why not pop a pair in your trolley next time you shop? If you would like to help glove thy neighbour this winter why don’t you set up your own winter woolies collection point at your place of work, school, clubs, for your street, in your stair or at your local community centre. The more the merrier and warmer our vendors will be!
How else can you help?
Well, the most obvious way is to buy a Big Issue the next time you are passing a vendor! The magazine is a great read, full of interesting articles, reviews and news on upcoming events around Scotland. What not everyone knows is that the vendors actually have to pay for the magazines in advance, so they bear the cost of unsold magazines. It is a true enterprise and the vendors are running their own business: by helping them to sell the magazines you are helping them to sustain themselves and to be true to the ethos of The Big Issue – ‘Working, Not Begging’ – an ethos that is also dear to the vendors themselves.
Selling The Big Issue gives the homeless sellers money to buy food, clothes and to get back on their feet, but perhaps most importantly it helps to give them a purpose, dignity and a sense of worth.
A property is undoubtedly the single most expensive asset many of us will ever own in our lifetime. We are passionate about helping our clients sell and buy new properties but we realise that not everyone is as fortunate. That is why we have decided to support The Big Issue’s ‘Spread The Glove’ campaign. We feel that anything we can do to help an organisation that helps people who do not have a home is the most natural fit for a company that spends most of its time helping those who do have a home.
The Big Issue is a cause that MOV8 Real Estate is delighted to be involved with. We want to give something back to those who are less fortunate than us and to the community that serves us so well.
If you have any questions, please drop us a line and we will be happy to help!
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