2024 was a year of milestones for Greater Govanhill, marked by growth, innovation, and community. From expanding our team to hosting impactful events and winning awards, we’ve achieved so much together. Discover the highlights of our journey and take a chance to win £100 by sharing your feedback!

2024 was a year of milestones for Greater Govanhill, marked by growth, innovation, and community-driven successes. From expanding our team to hosting impactful events and winning awards, we’ve achieved so much together. Discover the highlights of our journey and take a chance to win £100 by sharing your feedback!

Last year was another incredible chapter for Greater Govanhill, and it's been a joy to reflect on all we've achieved together. One of the highlights for me has been watching The Community Newsroom flourish with more people joining the team – all bringing their unique perspectives and experiences.

The magazine started with me, working from my sofa during Covid, squeezing in voluntary hours between working two other jobs – and has now grown into a team of seven paid staff members. This year, we were thrilled to welcome Catherine, Melissa, James, and Mikael to join Devon, Samar, and me.

A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed, supported us, or simply shown up in any way – your involvement makes all of this possible.

Some of our highlights from 2024

We started our stewardship of the Community Canvas space in Tramway with our FONDS exhibition. And released the FONDS podcast to accompany it.
We formed the Greater Govanhill Photography Group which has over 50 members - many of whom took part in our attempt to capture one day in Govanhill - with 17 photographers each shooting one roll of film in one allotted hour.
We went back to our roots with a community information needs assessment to understand how we can better serve the neighbourhood.
We produced 4 stunning issues of the mag and created 1 Festive poster.
We won 2 awards! The Reporting Communities award at the Regional Press Awards and the Best Limited Series Podcast at the Publisher Podcast awards.
We had stalls at community events including the Govanhill festival, the Deep End Christmas Market, the Queen’s Park Consultation, and Summer Nights gigs in Queen’s Park
We held Open Newsroom events in partnership with The Ferret on the Glasgow Housing Emergency, Food Insecurity and Tackling Polarisation
We also hosted other events at The Community Newsroom including: a Democracy Matters conversation, a history of Radical Community Media in the Southside workshop, a local history talk and walking tour, a community feedback pizza party and a presentation on urban spaces.
We launched on B lue Sky
We produced our first major impact report looking back over nearly 5 years.
With our Scottish Beacon partners, we ran the Citizens Agenda project to reshape election coverage. We also took part in the 100 Days of the Green Transition.
We took part in Indie News week with an event in Edinburgh exploring the future of local news in Scotland.
We helped to establish the Govanhill Community Litter Picking group.
We supported a brilliant group of people who have been through the asylum system to produce a radio show on Radio Buena Vida.
We helped to host the Public Interest News Foundation’s annual indie news forum in Glasgow.
We ran journalism skills and participatory action research workshops for women who have experienced gambling harm.
We got some new merch to sell in the form of t-shirts and mugs (have you got yours yet?)
And loads more!

Tell us what you think of Greater Govanhill and be in the chance of winning £100

What do you think about Greater Govanhill? Take this quick survey and you could win £100! The survey is run by a charity, the Public Interest News Foundation, and is open until 31 January 2025. Your views will help communities across the UK!

Our team highlights of 2024

Devon, journalist

This year has been such a rich and inspiring one for Greater Govanhill, it’s hard to pick just one highlight for the whole year. But, since I have to choose, I would say the heritage projects we explored stood out the most to me. I’ve always been fascinated by the layered history of Govanhill, which we dug into with our Heritage issue.

The articles from that issue delved into lots of aspects of Govanhill’s history, from its built heritage to its rich social and cultural histories. One piece in particular that stood out to me was ‘If These Walls Could Talk’, an article by Samar exploring the history of our pubs through stories from local people. I enjoyed the article, not just because I enjoy a pint every now and again (see my piece ‘In Conversation: Tony & Andrea at the Star Bar’ from that issue for more stories from our pubs), but because - as Samar wrote in the piece - pubs are the community’s living room, stage and soapbox.

I also loved our article by Rob Reid on the transformation of Agnew Lane, which detailed the inspiring journey of community growers turning a neglected space into a thriving community garden. It highlighted the power of grassroots activism in reclaiming urban spaces for communal benefit.

Looking back, these stories didn’t just offer a window into the past, they also reflected the resilient spirit of Govanhill today.

Iain, picture editor

Undoubtedly my highlight was 6 October - the arrival of our 'Govanhill In One Day' picture project. Much anticipated and only loosely organised. Eighteen hours of continuous coverage of our barrio - we survived a dreich day, jammed camera mirrors – but acquired several free meals and sweets – all in all a good day out. The real pleasure was seeing the participants coming and going, adding their own experience into the mix – sharing reactions and ideas. Very much the group atmosphere we were seeking to create. We even managed to end the day with one more photographer than we started with – very Govanhill. Thank you to all who took part or helped make it happen.

James, editorial assistant

Joining GG is my highlight, really. It’s a privilege to be trusted to write for and help edit the magazine. I’m delighted with the way the last issue turned out – the first which I worked on with the team. I’m glad to know all of my colleagues in the newsroom; especially, I’m grateful for all the advice and support I’ve received from Devon, Samar, and Rhiannon, grizzled newshounds all. Looking forward, the next issue is all hits, and we’ll be lunching in the Bowman Street lane by summer.

Samar, journalist

This year at Greater Govanhill has been incredibly rewarding and it’s difficult to pick just one standout moment.

One memory that stands out is supporting one of our younger writers, Harine Uthayakumar. Her article, Big Noise: Finding connection through music and culture, offered a glimpse into her experience of visiting India and connecting with music and her heritage. While it provided Harine with an opportunity to hone her writing skills, it was also a chance for me to collaborate with her and learn how best to support emerging contributors. Witnessing the collaborative spirit that defines our work has been truly uplifting, as we strive to offer readers unique perspectives on others’ experiences.

Our Language issue was another highlight, packed with immersive pieces exploring language as a vital form of connection. It delved into how, without the right tools and empathy, language can create barriers instead of bridging divides. At the same time, it celebrated how Govanhill thrives with its incredible linguistic diversity. Collaborating on the Voices Across Time: The Tape Letters project to preserve British-Pakistani heritage, with Devon, was particularly special. Visiting Auntie Shaheen’s home and earning her trust to share her story was a privilege I’ll cherish.

In an area like the Southside, which is prolific for its tales of activism – past and present and its rich cultural heritage, there was no shortage of stories to uncover for these issues. It was a joy to work alongside the team to create a magazine that resonated so strongly with readers and was underpinned by community. As we look ahead, I’m excited for what the next year will bring – undoubtedly as inspiring and fulfilling as this one has been!

Catherine, newsroom facilities

This time last year I was nervous and excited for my new job in the Community Newsroom and now, both a year and a mere blink of an eye later, I feel like part of the furniture. Time is a funny old beast! My highlight of 2024 has been getting to know the core Greater Govanhill and Ferret crews working from the newsroom plus all our freelance shared desk users, it really is a great atmosphere to be part of. I also loved the exhibitions Greater Govanhill have organised upstairs in Tramway, I’d recommend to anyone who hasn’t seen it to check out the Tape Letters Scotland exhibition before it finishes at the end of January.

Melissa, funding officer

This year has been an absolute delight to join the Greater Govanhill team and immerse myself in the vibrant community right outside my door. Being part of this organisation has introduced me to fascinating and inspiring individuals in the Newsroom, developed my appreciation for local journalism, and deepened my connection with my neighbours in Govanhill.

As someone passionate about history I’ve enjoyed reading the personal stories and lesser-known histories within our community. The Exploring Local Heritage issue this year was particularly captivating, igniting my curiosity and appreciation for our rich, yet often under-appreciated, cultural tapestry. I really enjoyed the "If these walls could talk” stories about many of the local pubs I frequent.

Creating stencils for the Govanhill Litter Pick team and writing about my own heritage and love for language, food, and history have been incredibly fulfilling experiences that allowed me to contribute to the community in a creative and fun way. I enjoyed meeting more of our community at various events at Queen’s Park. Getting to experience a tent full of people singing along to “The Whole Of The Moon” was an unexpected fun night of volunteering.

I am excited to continue learning about Greater Govanhill and the incredible people who call it home.

Laura, deputy picture editor

My undisputed highlight of the year has been joining the Greater Govanhill Photography Group and taking part in the Day in the Life of Govanhill project. It has been a real privilege to join these creatives and see their unique takes on our neighbourhood.

But Greater Govanhill’s support for the monthly Community Litter Pick comes a very close second. It’s all too easy to let frustration over rubbish in the streets and lanes fester but it is so much more rewarding to try and do something about it. Since late April, I’ve joined other locals on the last Saturday of each month to give our streets a bit of a glow-up, picking up rubbish as well as recyclables including glass, disposable vapes, cans and plastic bottles.

And occasionally we come across some real treasures – the chandelier on 30 November springs to mind. The response from passers-by has been great and every time we’re out we manage to attract some new recruits. The litter pick is taking a short winter break but will be back in spring.

What you enjoyed online

We have over 80,000 different visitors to our website in 2024. That’s some 5x the population of Govanhill. And while most readers are from here in the UK, we were amazed to see we had people looking at our website from 99 other countries this year including Puerto Rico, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh and Algeria.

Our top-read articles on the website

Our ‘Like my grandmother used to make’ recipes are always very popular. This year readers have really enjoyed , in particular Jewish Chicken Soup - was our most read article this year.
We got a lot of appreciation for our Citizens Agenda voter guides such as this one for Glasgow South.
You also enjoyed the stories of our local pubs and this conversation between two characters in the Star Bar.
This exercised in mapping queer experiences in the Southside certainly caught your interest.
And people really appreciated this list of Glasgow actions of Palestine
The story of MILK starting a new chapter also was well read.