In Govanhill, the heart of the community beats through its vibrant local businesses. From bustling corner shops to long-standing family-run stores, these shopkeepers not only provide essential services but also preserve the area's cultural heritage. In this article, we delve into the stories of Govanhill's shopkeepers, uncovering the histories, challenges, and triumphs that shape the daily life of this diverse and dynamic neighbourhood.

South Asian Heritage Month is a celebration of South Asian identities and cultures. This year’s theme, ‘Free to Be Me,’ prompted Sofia to reflect on her own complex sense of identity. Sofia shares her experience of growing up in Glasgow's South Asian community, struggling with her mixed-race background and the challenges of fitting into Scottish and Asian cultures.

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, food writer and founder of Kaleyard Cook School and Kitchen, Sumayya Usmani, shared some of her favourite places to eat authentic Pakistani cooking in Govanhill and how that made her truly feel at home

Шли месяцы, а я все еще не могла вернуться к прежней жизни. И, наконец, я поняла, что в моих силах создавать моменты счастья и устанавливать новые связи. Пройдет много времени, прежде чем наша жизнь вернется в прежнее русло. Мне, так или иначе, нужно было установить связь с новым внешним миром.

In Issue 1 of Greater Govanhill, Kate Samuels explored what it meant to be away from her home country during lockdown, and how it enabled her to connect with her local community in a new way.

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.

At the end of last year, Romano Lav premiered the first episode of a new pilot project, Roma News and Views on YouTube . Roma News and Views was developed during lockdown and is a creative response by Govanhill’s Roma youth to the constraints imposed by the pandemic.

Govanhill International Festival and Carnival (21 - 31 August) showcases the creativity of local people and organisations and draws in talent from across Glasgow and beyond. In this round-up, Govanhill Community Connector, Marzanna Antoniak shares her pick of the festival suitable for families and those who speak some of the community’s 88 languages.

A new online survey has found that Govanhillians can speak at least 88 different languages, from Arabic to Yoruba and everything in between. While the results are not entirely conclusive – the new survey has only been completed by 222 of the neighbourhood’s many thousand residents – it confirms the incredibly diverse make-up of this unique neighbourhood.

Every day, Vasily Teglas sets off from home with a suitcase carrying a loud speaker and a traditional Romanian horn-violin. He unpacks by a bench in Queen’s Park and plugs into his amp, striking up with the sounds of Scottish, Romanian and pop music.

With mosques closed and people confined to their own homes, this year’s Ramadan has been like no other, although some have found there to be benefits too. Members of Govanhill’s Muslim community take the time to reflect on their experiences of Ramadan during lockdown.

In Eastern Europe, racism and scapegoating are common problems for Roma people, Europe’s largest minority. According to Glasgow resident, Marek Balog, this has been exacerbated during the current pandemic, with many stories of blatant discrimination. Marek works for Community Renewal on their Local Conversations - Roma Govanhill project, and spoke about how he has been delivering food parcels alongside other members of the Roma community.

This year, Ramadan will last from the 23 April until 23rd May. During this time, Glasgow’s Muslims will not let anything pass their lips between dawn and dusk each day. Despite this, Glasgow’s Muslim community continues to do what they can to support those in need.