THE co-founder of Big Issue magazine is set to release a single to raise funds in a bid to help tackle poverty and homelessness.

Musician Phil Ryan, who worked with the magazine’s founder Lord John Bird 26 years ago, wrote Walking Down This Lonely Street about the isolation people face when homeless.

He was asked by Lord Bird to write a song to raise awareness of the magazine’s vendors.

Mr Ryan said: “I wrote this song to tell their story and to help the Big Issue raise money to help them continue their life journey.

“The best description of the song was when Bill, one of the vendors, heard me play it and said I’d just described his life. No higher praise is possible.”

The song is available for download now.

The Big Issue is also hosting a series of free gigs from tomorrow in London, Birmingham and Glasgow, featuring singer Tom Chaplin from the band Keane. More details on Twitter via #BigIssueBusk.