Perceptions of people on the streets with pets are often uncaring and narrow-minded. Bodo vendors Ralf and Mario, who sell the street paper in the German city of Bochum, are prime examples of the mental health and social benefits of having a pet on the streets can be. Their dogs – Maja, Tyson and Cassey – are their pride and joys.

13 German street papers, including INSP members, have banded together to demand that the country’s state and city officials use empty hotels to house those experiencing homelessness amid ongoing restrictions and “stay at home” pleas due to the coronavirus. A petition laying out their concerns has already reached over 2,500 signatures.

The Big Issue took stock of how coronavirus is affecting the world’s homeless community, providing another update on just how severely the spread of the virus is impacting street papers and the people for which they provide an income.

The Big Issue has been reaching out to vendors across the street paper network to get the inside scoop on the cities they know best. This instalment features bodo vendor Jessica talking about Dortmund.

Today we’re bringing you the penultimate set of 2019 INSP Awards Finalists, with the Top 5 entries in Best Campaign.

Say cheese…it’s time for us to announce the Best Photograph Nominees for the INSP Awards 2019!

Best Cover is always one of our most hotly contested INSP Awards, and this year is no exception, with a record 78 entries in this category from street papers around the world!

This year we asked vendors: if you could give a song as a present this Christmas, what would you choose? The result was the INSP Vendor Playlist, which is now available for your listening pleasure. Nine bodo vendors contributed songs, and here they talk about some of the reasons behind their choices.

Recently, two street papers in different parts of the world published similar stories celebrating organisations that give free haircuts to homeless people. Dortmund-based magazine bodo told the story of the Barber’s Angels, a group of professional hairdressers from all over the North Rhine-Westphalia region who had come to Bochum to dish out complimentary styling. Across the Atlantic, Nashville’s The Contributor described a day of business for the Nashville Street Barbers.

This award acknowledges excellence in street paper design – find out who’s made the Top 10.

No need to put out a distress call, our round-up of street paper front pages from the last month has landed.

In Germany, 100,000 women have no home of their own and a quarter of all homeless people are women. bodo spent time with four women from Bochum who are facing homelessness. They talked about their experiences and explained why women who live on the streets are ignored.

The finalists just keep coming! Here’s who has claimed a Top Five position in the Best Breakthrough category.

Between Halloween and Trump, there’s a frighteneing vibe on this month’s international street paper covers. Thank god for Street Cat Bob…

There’s support from big name stars featured on this month’s covers – but also stark reminders of why street papers are so necessary for homeless people.

Some bodo vendors are so well known on their sales beat that readers ask about them when they don’t turn up for a day or two. Leo is one such vendor. We meet him on his regular pitch in Dortmund.

August’s street paper covers have the Olympic spirit, featuring ‘cuddly lawnmowers’, a homeless wedding, Steven Spielberg, and a cheeky little bit of rickrolling.

A gloriumptious look at the world of Roald Dahl, a red-haired mischief-maker, a mafia flower plot and Yanis Varoufakis at the INSP Summit… explore June’s street paper covers.