QBE Foundation Chair helps sell The Big Issue

To help shine a spotlight on homelessness and disadvantage in our community, Sally Kincaid, Chair of the QBE Foundation and Chief HR Officer for QBE Australia and New Zealand, took to the streets yesterday to sell street magazine The Big Issue.

As part of a national campaign, Sally donned The Big Issue’s trademark fluoro vest and joined vendor Rachel T in front of the QBE office on Sydney’s busy Park Street for 30 minutes of selling.

The campaign is part of International Vendor Week, a celebration of street paper vendors around the world.

The Australian version of The Big Issue is one of 112 street papers supported by the International Network of Street Papers, providing work opportunities to 11,000 people globally each year.

Following her morning shift, Sally said: “It was an extremely different start to the day and one I found incredibly confronting. My colleagues gladly purchased copies of the magazine from me but becoming a Big Issue vendor and approaching members of the public was a very different experience.

"It was a real eye-opener to understand firsthand just a little of what Big Issue vendors like Rachel face every day in their efforts to build a better life by selling street papers.

"The QBE Foundation is incredibly proud to support The Big Issue and I’m so glad to have been able to take some time to really get behind people striving to overcome disadvantage and live more independently through their own hard work."

Sally is among more than 60 business and government leaders across Australia showing their support for Vendor Week by taking to the streets to sell copies of The Big Issue from 1-5 February.

The Big Issue hopes to boost sales to put $100,000 into vendors’ pockets for the edition coinciding with Vendor Week. Vendors buy copies of street papers for half the cover price, keeping the proceeds from sales to the public.

The Big Issue is a QBE Foundation charity partner for 2016. Our charity partners are provided with a one-off donation between $50,000 and $100,000, and a 12-month commitment of support from the Foundation. They also offer QBE employees volunteering opportunities throughout the year, allowing our people to provide more than just financial support to those in need.

For further information please contact:
Megan McDougall
Senior Communications Specialist
Marketing
QBE Australia & New Zealand
Phone: 02 9375 4664
Email: megan.mcdougall@qbe.com

About the QBE Foundation

The QBE Foundation supports charities that help people overcome disadvantage, strengthen their abilities and live more independently, successfully and productively.

The objectives of the Foundation are:

• To make a difference in key areas that align with QBE’s vision and values
• To drive employee engagement by developing networking and a strong team-based culture
• To maximise the return and impact for any collection, distribution and allocation of philanthropic resources.

QBE’s corporate responsibility mirrors our insurance role in the community where we are uniquely placed to assist people when they find themselves in need through accident or misadventure. For more information visit https://www.qbe.com.au/about/community/foundation