BUSINESSES took part in a challenge led by Big Issue Cymru to sell as many of their magazines as possible in half an hour in Newport city centre on Friday.

It was part of the magazine’s Shop Gear initiative to raise awareness and boost corporate social responsibility in the city.

Those who sold the most copies in the time will now be included on the charity’s Shop Gear leader board.

Staff from city centre shops were paired up with Newport Big Issue sellers for 30 minutes so they could get to know their local vendor, improve their face-to-face selling skills and gain insight on what it is like to sell the magazine.

Big Issue sellers buy the magazine, which was first launched in September 1991, for £1.25 and sell it on for £2.50 and plough any profit back into buying more copies.