Unlike many European countries, Scotland lacks mandatory owners’ associations, leaving tenants and flat owners to navigate the complexities of retrofitting on their own. With legislative changes years away, the question remains, how can communities take action now to green-proof their homes for the future?

Rohese Devereux Taylor and Kate Mackay explore the journey of co-founding the Glasgow Homebirth Support Group, the benefits of birthing at home, and the invaluable resources and networks available to parents in Glasgow, from sling libraries to breastfeeding support.

Once labelled the ‘worst for fly-tipping in Glasgow’, before the end of last year you would have found Kingarth Lane at Bowman Street full of sofas, mattresses, carpets, fridges and bags of household rubbish. Then in November 2023 the Lane Community group was successful in getting gates erected with the hope that they would bring an end to the endemic fly tipping issue. 

In this series of articles, we hear from resident, Aoife Hutton, who was tired of seeing litter on her street and started taking care of it herself. What started as a solo two-hour morning litter pick has evolved into a monthly Govanhill-wide litter picking group with community groups and residents.

Community organisations are doing impactful work to support the neighbourhood, but short-term public funding cycles make it difficult for them to plan ahead, leaving them struggling to survive. We spoke with some local organisations to find out their experiences with the current funding cycles.

In this series of articles, we hear from residents who had enough of fly-tipping and decided to take matters into their own hands.  Dana Cherepkova, shares more from her first community meal on the often fly-tipped Kingarth Lane. After a quick spring clean, it was transformed into a wonderful space to meet the neighbours, share a meal, a collaborative project between residents, supported by community food project Kin Kitchen.

Glasgow’s housing shortage, combined with rising rents and Govanhill's growing popularity, has resulted in a highly competitive rental market where it often feels like landlords hold all the power. Having moved flats almost every year for the past five years, here are a few key lessons one renter learned along the way.

At Rags to Riches, the reuse and upcycling branch of Govanhill Baths Community Trust (GBCT), we are excited to introduce the Southside Climate Directory, a new online resource. The directory is designed to help residents of Govanhill and the surrounding area, access sustainable solutions locally.

The Hidden Gardens and GALLANT’s Compost Co-Lab is engaging with communities and helping Glasgow residents adopt sustainable practices through hands on composting experience helping to manage food waste and contribute to reducing the city’s carbon footprint.

Shawlands Bike Bus, GoBike, and local parents and their children, came together to show their appreciation for the city’s 270km cycle network plans. With a “jumbo Thank You card” in hand, they shared gratitude, feedback, and hopes for a more bike-friendly future.

Residents of Kingarth Lane and Kin Kitchen came together on 15 September to transform the often-neglected lane into a vibrant community hub. The event featured activities for children, a shared meal, and discussions on future improvements, including food planters and outdoor seating.

A community consultation took place earlier this month to keep local people informed on the Local Place Plan for Govanhill. The group behind the consultation have now moved the project into it’s second stage and are asking local people to take part in a short online survey. Find out how you can get involved.

Govanhill artists joined the unions in their continued fight for arts funding despite a recent government u-turn on cuts announced last month. Though funding has been reinstated, the arts community remains concerned about future uncertainties, especially on the impact cuts would have on working-class communities. Protesters called for a progressive tax system in the broader fight to preserve public funding, not just for the arts and culture sector.

Arkbound’s innovative workshop series, 'Our Economy', is opening doors for typically marginalised communities to engage in economic discussions through creative writing. This unique approach is not just about learning but about fostering change and amplifying voices that are often unheard.

As a resident of one of Robert Duncan's beautifully designed homes on Dixon Avenue, I’ve come to appreciate the lasting impact of this overlooked architect. His 21 distinctive houses, with their unique bay windows and ornate details, have given Crosshill its special character and earned it conservation status. Duncan's work is a hidden gem in Glasgow’s architectural heritage.

Am fost odată la o ședință care a fost ținută pentru a discuta problemele ce afectează comunitatea de Rromi. Eu am fost singura persoană de etnie Romă în acea încăpere.

Raz som sa zúčastnil stretnutia, ktoré sa konalo s cieľom prediskutovať otázky týkajúce sa Rómskej komunity. Bol som jediný Róm v miestnosti. Organizácie hovorili o nás alebo za nás, ale nie s nami. Vtedy sme si uvedomili, že pri práci, ktorú robíme, musíme zvoliť iný prístup.

In Issue 1 of Greater Govanhill magazine, Marek Balog wrote about the new initiative by local organisation, Community Renewal to make sure that Roma people are at the heart of decision making when it comes to their community.

In Issue 1 of Greater Govanhill, the Rumpus Room food working group explored the inherent inequalities in our food system and what can be done to fix them, with a bold new manifesto.

In Issue 1 of Greater Govanhill, Rachel Dallas wrote about the realities of racism in Scotland today and explained the meaning behind the crowdfunded Glasgow South Anti-Racism Art Project which has resulted in four striking new murals.