Overview
- Big Issue began handing out Summer Support Kits to its vendor network on Wednesday, giving each kit a 200ml SPF30 DIC sunscreen spray, a branded cap, and an insulated water bottle.
- The sunscreen was donated by British brand DIC, whose founder Russ Oliver said the gift aims to make sun protection an everyday habit for people who work long hours outdoors.
- Vendors in places such as Bournemouth and Bath described the kits as a lifeline, saying the sunscreen and cooling bottle let them shorten exposure, keep selling during brief cooler periods, and protect health while they earn.
- Big Issue says sun protection can be unaffordable for many vendors and is encouraging the public to buy kits online to fund distribution to more than 1,000 sellers across England, Scotland and Wales.
- The move responds to an April APPG report showing outdoor workers face roughly 60% higher non‑melanoma skin cancer risk and to Met Office outlooks that forecast an increased chance of heatwaves this summer.