John Bird, Baron Bird

Last updated

The Right Honourable
The Lord Bird
MBE
Official portrait of Lord Bird crop 2.jpg
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
7 December 2015 – Life Peer
Personal details
Born
John Anthony Bird

(1946-01-30) 30 January 1946 (age 78)
Notting Hill, London, England
Education Chelsea School of Art
Known for The Big Issue
Awards Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon.png MBE
Coronet of a British Baron.svg Life Peer

John Anthony Bird, Baron Bird MBE (born 30 January 1946), is a British social entrepreneur and life peer. He is best known as the co-founder of The Big Issue , a magazine edited by professional journalists and sold by street vendors who are largely homeless or vulnerably housed. [1]

Contents

Bird sits as an independent crossbench member of the House of Lords. [2]

Early life

Bird was born in a Notting Hill slum to a poor London Irish family. He became homeless aged five, resided in an orphanage from ages seven to ten, and was often excluded from school. [3]

He became a butcher's boy after leaving the orphanage, and supplemented his income by stealing. [4] During his teens and twenties, he spent several spells in prison, where he learnt to read and write and the basics of printing. [3]

Bird attended Chelsea School of Art, but was homeless again by 1967, sleeping rough in Edinburgh while being sought by the police for petty offences. [5] In the early 1970s, he started to build upon his prison education and set up a small-scale printing and publishing business in London. [4]

For two weeks in 1970, he worked as a washer-up in the Palace of Westminster canteen, where he later returned upon being elevated to the peerage. [6]

The Big Issue and work with the homeless

In September 1991, Bird launched The Big Issue with Gordon Roddick, [7] co-founder of The Body Shop. In November 1995, he launched The Big Issue Foundation to further support vendors of The Big Issue. [8]

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Big Issue Group, which incorporates The Big Issue, Big Issue Invest (its social investment arm) and The Big Issue Foundation.

The Big Issue magazine started as a London venture but expanded with specific editions and services to other British cities, and then to other countries. Bird is also the founder of the International Network of Street Papers, which now incorporates over 100 street papers and publishes in 34 countries in 24 languages.

In 2001, with The Big Issue Group chairman Nigel Kershaw OBE Archived 17 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine , Bird founded Big Issue Invest, [9] a provider of finance for businesses, charities and NGOs with the aim of creating positive social change.

The social investment arm of The Big Issue Group, initially only dealing in loan finance,Big Issue Invest launched a social investment fund in 2009, and has since invested more than £30 million in hundreds of social enterprises [10] making a positive impact in communities across the UK.

Political work

Bird was a member of the Workers' Revolutionary Party in the 1970s. [11]

In March 2007, Bird announced his intention to stand as an independent candidate for Mayor of London. [12] In May 2007, he unveiled his election manifesto for the 2008 mayoral election, [13] but in October of that year, Bird announced that he had decided not to run for mayor and was instead going to launch a movement "to try and do what the CND did over the bomb, but over social injustice". [14] In November 2016, Bird suggested that he was initially asked to stand as the Conservative Party candidate in 2007 – prior to the selection of the eventual winner and later Prime Minister Boris Johnson – but refused the offer. [15]

Bird was a Social Enterprise Ambassador, a scheme run by the Social Enterprise Coalition to promote awareness of social enterprise – a business model used to address a social or environmental needs. The programme was supported by the Office of the Third Sector, part of HMG Cabinet Office, and ran between 2007 and 2010. [16]

Bird revealed in 2010: "...my secret is that I'm really a working-class Tory.... I'd love to be a liberal, because they're the nice people, but it's really hard work. I can't swallow their gullibility and I think their ideas are stupid.... I know this will destroy my reputation among middle-class liberals.... Wearing the corsetry of liberalism means that every now and then you have to take it off." [17] He has since stated he has "been hurt by the Left, and helped by the Left. Just like I've been helped by the Right and hurt by the Right."

Nominated by the House of Lords Appointments Commission as a non-party political "People's Peer", [18] on 30 October 2015, he was created Baron Bird, of Notting Hill in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (for life), sitting as a crossbencher in the Upper House. [19] In his maiden speech Lord Bird stated:

"Someone said to me, 'How did you get into the House of Lords?' and I said, 'By lying, cheating and stealing'." [20]

Lord Bird's work is non-partisan and focuses on dismantling the root causes of poverty in the UK, [21] with an emphasis on the well-being of future generations, early intervention and prevention.

In parliament, he speaks on social enterprise, social mobility, literacy and the Arts. Lord Bird co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Future Generations and Libraries, and is vice-chairman of the Groups on Poverty, Ending Homelessness and Social Enterprise. He also leads debates on poverty, literacy and social business, and is a member of the Lord Speaker's Advisory Panel on Works of Art. [22]

Bird introduced to parliament the "Well-being of Future Generations Bill", [23] a private member's bill he is currently promoting as part of a cross-party campaign, "Today For Tomorrow". [24]

Honours and awards

MBE insignia M.B.E.JPG
MBE insignia

Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for "services to homeless people" in the 1995 Birthday Honours, [25] in 2006, Bird was awarded the Beacon Fellowship for his originality in raising awareness of homelessness and his support of homeless communities worldwide. [26] He accepted the UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour in 2004 from Mwai Kibaki, President of Kenya (2002–13), on behalf of The Big Issue.

Lord Bird currently serves as a Visiting Professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Lincoln and holds an Honorary Doctorate of Business from Plymouth University [27] and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford Brookes University. He is also an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University and Goldsmiths, University of London.

Bird was the British Society of Magazine Editors' Editor of the Year in 1993 and was awarded The Revd. Marcus Morris Award from the Professional Publishers' Association in 2000. In 2018, Bird was inducted into the Professional Publishers' Association Hall of Fame.

In 2008, Bird was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young. In 2015, he became a Senior Fellow of Ashoka and in 2017 he became a Fellow of Social Enterprise UK. [28]

Family

Twice divorced, Bird married firstly in 1965 Linda Stewart Haston, by whom he had one daughter. He married secondly in 1973 Tessa Swithinbank, [29] younger daughter of Sir Robert Ricketts Bt and his wife Theresa née Cripps CBE , having a son and a daughter. [30] Married since 2004 to Parveen Sodhi, Bird lives in London with their two children. [31]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Foster, Baron Foster of Bath</span> British Liberal Democrat Politician

Donald Michael Ellison Foster, Baron Foster of Bath, is a British politician and life peer who served as Government Deputy Chief Whip and Comptroller of the Household from 2013 to 2015. A member of the Liberal Democrats, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Bath from 1992 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha Lane Fox</span> British businesswoman (born 1973); member of the House of Lords

Martha Lane Fox, Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho is a British businesswoman, philanthropist and public servant. She co-founded Last Minute during the dotcom boom of the early 2000s and has subsequently served on public service digital projects. She sits on the boards of WeTransfer and Chanel, as well as being a trustee of The Queen's Commonwealth Trust. She previously served on the board of Channel 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Taylor, Baron Taylor of Warwick</span> British politician (born 1952)

John David Beckett Taylor, Baron Taylor of Warwick is a member of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In 1996, at the age of 44, he became one of the youngest people in the upper house.

<i>The Big Issue</i> Street newspaper that supports homeless people

The Big Issue is a United Kingdom-based street newspaper founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991 and published in four continents. The Big Issue is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer homeless people, or individuals at risk of homelessness, the opportunity to earn a legitimate income, thereby helping them to reintegrate into mainstream society. It is the world's most widely circulated street newspaper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Adebowale, Baron Adebowale</span> British politician (born 1962)

Victor Olufemi Adebowale, Baron Adebowale, is the former Chief Executive of the social care enterprise Turning Point and the current Chair of the NHS Confederation, and was one of the first individuals to become a People's Peer.

Nigel Vinson, Baron Vinson, LVO, is a British entrepreneur, inventor, philanthropist and Conservative former member of the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Campbell (businessman)</span> English businessman

Timothy Campbell is an English businessman best known as the winner of the first series of the British version of The Apprentice, a BBC TV reality show in which contestants competed to win a £100,000-a-year job working for businessman Alan Sugar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Holmes, Baron Holmes of Richmond</span> British swimmer (born 1971)

Christopher Holmes, Baron Holmes of Richmond,, is a British life peer in the House of Lords and former swimmer. He won a total of nine gold, five silver, and one bronze medal at the Paralympic Games. Holmes represented Great Britain at four Paralympic Games between 1988 and 2000 and is the only British Paralympic swimmer to win six gold medals at a single Games.

Michael Morris Hayman is an entrepreneur, broadcaster and author in the United Kingdom. He is a co-founder of Seven Hills, a London-based campaigning communication consultancy. Michael is chairman of Entrepreneurs at the private bank Coutts & Co, Chairs GRADVenture, the University of London Entrepreneur Pitch and serves on the Advisory Council of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nat Wei, Baron Wei</span> English social entrepreneur and advisor on technology

Nathanael Ming-Yan Wei, Baron Wei, also known as Nat Wei, is an English social entrepreneur and advisor on technology, with an interest in social reform. He is the first British-born person of Hong Kong origin to have become a member of the House of Lords, sitting as a Conservative, and was the youngest member of the House from 2010 to 2016. He was also previously an adviser to the UK Government on their Big Society project.

The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion is one of the Queen's Awards for Enterprise, and is awarded annually to people who play an outstanding role in promoting the growth of business enterprise and/or entrepreneurial skills in other people. It is bestowed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Recipients receive an engraved crystal glass commemorative item, a Grant of Appointment and are invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace. Sometimes the award is presented by another member of the British Royal Family, and sometimes at another location.

For example, people who:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evgeny Lebedev</span> Russian-British businessman (born 1980)

Evgeny Alexandrovich Lebedev, Baron Lebedev, is a Russian-British businessman, who owns Lebedev Holdings Ltd, which in turn owns the Evening Standard and ESTV. He is also an investor in The Independent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Stowell, Baroness Stowell of Beeston</span> British Conservative politician and life peer

Tina Wendy Stowell, Baroness Stowell of Beeston, is a British Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zameer Choudrey, Baron Choudrey</span> British-Pakistani businessman (born 1958)

Zameer Mohammed Choudrey, Baron Choudrey is a British-Pakistani businessman who is the chief executive of the multinational conglomerate Bestway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Farmer, Baron Farmer</span> British businessman (born 1944)

Michael Stahel Farmer, Baron Farmer, nicknamed Mr. Copper, is a British businessman, former Treasurer of the Conservative Party, and life peer in the House of Lords. He is active in combating family breakdown and its repercussions, supported Brexit, and is a devout born-again Christian. He is vocal in his opposition to antisemitism, and is supportive of Israel having the right to defend itself against Hamas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rami Ranger, Baron Ranger</span> British-Indian businessman (born 1947)

Raminder Singh Ranger, Baron Ranger, is a British businessman, and the founder of Sun Mark and Sea Air & Land Forwarding, an international marketing and distribution company. He is also chairman and managing director of Sea Air and Land Forwarding Ltd.

Laura Coryton born in Shoreham, East Sussex is a British campaigner, feminist activist and author. She is the founder of Stop Taxing Periods, the campaign to abolish the tampon tax in the United Kingdom and make menstrual products exempt from VAT. Coryton's online petition successfully lobbied the UK Parliament into establishing the Tampon Tax Fund in 2016, through which almost £100m was donated to female-focused charities. Her campaign succeeded in 2021 when the tax on all period products was axed.

Josh Littlejohn is a Scottish social entrepreneur, Sunday Times best selling author and homeless campaigner who founded charities the Social Bite and the World’s Big Sleep Out.

Bejay Mulenga is a British entrepreneur, founder CEO, creative consultant and public speaker. At age 20, Mulenga became the youngest recipient of the Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion. He is founder of the training, recruitment and development company Supa Network and co-founder of the wellbeing and online food delivery company, The Great Feast of London. Mulenga featured in GQ magazine's list of "Britain's 100 Most Connected Men" and spearheaded the non-profit A Plate For London.

As part of the British honours system, Special Honours are issued at the Monarch's pleasure at any given time. The Special Honours refer to the awards made within royal prerogative, operational honours, political honours and other honours awarded outside the New Years Honours and Birthday Honours.

References

  1. ↑ www.standard.co.uk
  2. ↑ Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage (2019 edn)
  3. 1 2 Lakhani, Nina (23 October 2011). "Big Issue doesn't stand out in a crowd, admits founder". The Independent . Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 McGrath, Nick (23 September 2013). "John Bird: 'At five I sold wooden boxes for firewood'". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  5. ↑ Greenstreet, Rosanna (27 August 1995). "How we met; John Bird and Gordon Roddick". The Independent. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  6. ↑ ""It's a confederacy of amateurs" – John Bird opens up the House of Lords in BBC documentary". Radio Times . Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  7. ↑ www.ft.com
  8. ↑ The Big Issue History Archived 1 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine . Bigissue.com (7 September 2011). accessed 26 September 2011.
  9. ↑ "About Big Issue Invest". Big Issue Invest. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  10. ↑ www.haberdashers.co.uk
  11. ↑ The big thing about the Big Issue. The Guardian , published May 1994
  12. ↑ "Big Issue owner to run for mayor". BBC News . 22 March 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  13. ↑ "Big Issue owner unveils manifesto". BBC News. 1 May 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  14. ↑ "Big Issue founder targets poverty". BBC News. 18 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  15. ↑ www.conservativehome.com
  16. ↑ David Ainsworth (15 September 2010). "Saying goodbye to the social enterprise ambassadors" . Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  17. ↑ "Express Yourself: Celebrities reveal their guilty pleasures". Daily Express . 25 October 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  18. ↑ "Big Issue founder John Bird appointed to House of Lords". BBC News. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  19. ↑ "No. 61400". The London Gazette . 5 November 2015. p. 21710.
  20. ↑ Smith, Mikey (26 February 2016). "New peer thanks his probation officer in hilarious maiden speech". Daily Mirror .
  21. ↑ www.politicshome.com
  22. ↑ "Lord Speaker's Advisory Panel on Works of Art". www.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  23. ↑ www.parliament.uk
  24. ↑ The Wellbeing Of Future Generations Bill Today For Tomorrow. accessed 11 February 2023
  25. ↑ "No. 54066". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 1995. p. 15.
  26. ↑ 2005/6 Beacon Prize Winners. accessed 3 February 2012.
  27. ↑ John Bird MBE – Doctorate of Business, Plymouth University, archived from the original on 19 October 2013, retrieved 18 October 2013
  28. ↑ "John Bird". Ashoka. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  29. ↑ www.oxfam.org
  30. ↑ www.burkespeerage.com
  31. ↑ www.theguardian.com
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gentlemen
Baron Bird		Followed by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.