Greater Govanhill Community Organiser – P/T Role
Location: Community Newsroom, 82 Bowman St, Glasgow, G42 8LF
Hours: 21 hours per week (3 days)
Salary: £30,000 full-time equivalent (£18,000 per year based on a 21-hour week)
Contract: Fixed term for two years
About us
Greater Govanhill is an award-winning community media organisation based in Govanhill, in Glasgow's Southside.
We started in 2020 with our free community magazine, created to provide a different kind of local media: one that reflects the diversity of the area, challenges stereotypes, brings people together and gives local people more opportunities to tell their own stories.
Today, we publish a free print magazine and website, run community journalism training, host a photography and writers group, and we also produce podcasts, radio shows, events and exhibitions. We create opportunities for local people to get involved in making media and hundreds of people have been involved with Greater Govanhill over the years.
Since 2022, we’ve been based out of the Community Newsroom on Bowman Street. As well as being home to our team, it's run as a co-working and community space – used for workshops, meetings, events, exhibitions, volunteering and drop-ins.
We're a small, friendly team and the way we work is collaborative and fairly informal. Everyone has responsibility for their own area of work, but we work closely together and help each other out when needed.
Our journalism and our community work are closely connected. We want the magazine to be useful to the people who live here, not just something they read. That means listening to what's happening locally, helping people connect around shared issues, and using our journalism to share useful information, ideas and examples of what people are doing to make things better.
About the role
This is a new role at Greater Govanhill, so there is plenty of scope to make it your own. Exactly how it develops will be shaped in part by the experience, ideas and interests of the person we appoint.
You'll build relationships with local residents, support volunteers and community projects, organise activities and help people turn ideas into action. You'll also help manage and develop the Community Newsroom, making sure it's welcoming, well used and connected to the wider community.
You'll work closely with our editorial team to spot stories, useful information and ideas that we can share through the magazine and website.
We're looking for someone experienced who can bring their own ideas to the role, manage their time and workload, and get things moving without needing lots of day-to-day direction. That experience might come from paid employment, freelance work, volunteering, grassroots organising or a combination of these.
What you'll be doing
Community organising
Regularly listen to local residents about what's happening in the area and use what you hear to help shape our activities and priorities.
Build relationships with local residents, volunteers and community groups.
Build partnerships with local organisations and community networks.
Support local people to develop ideas and turn them into action.
Help grow initiatives including the Back Lanes Action Group and Govanhill Litter Pick.
Organise community conversations, practical activities and meet-ups where local people can share their own skills and knowledge.
Recruit, support and encourage volunteers.
Community journalism
Work with our editorial team to identify stories, practical guides and examples of community action that can be shared through the magazine, website and social media.
Support community-led investigations into local issues, helping residents explore what's causing a problem, what could be done about it and how Greater Govanhill's journalism can support that work.
Help document what's happening in the community so local successes inspire more people to get involved.
Feed ideas, issues and community voices into our editorial planning.
Community Newsroom
Help manage the day-to-day running of the Community Newsroom, making sure it's a welcoming, well-organised and inclusive space.
Support and grow the community of people who use the Newsroom, helping them feel connected and informed.
Help develop new ideas that increase use of the space and generate income to support its long-term sustainability.
Coordinate bookings, events and community activities taking place in the Newsroom.
Help develop the Newsroom as a local information hub by improving signposting, accessibility and community information.
Help monitor use of the space and support the tracking of income and expenditure where needed.
Identify practical improvements to the space and work with contractors or suppliers where needed.
Who we're looking for
We're looking for someone with experience who can work independently and take ownership of the role.
Ideally you'll already be working in community organising, community development, campaigning, housing, youth work, equalities, health, volunteering or another community-based role. You’ll ideally have a good knowledge of Govanhill and the other organisations who work here. You'll understand how to build trust, bring people together and support communities to make change happen.
This role comes with a good deal of independence. You'll have support from the wider Greater Govanhill team, but we're looking for someone who can build relationships, work out where their time is best spent, develop their own ideas and follow things through without needing close supervision.
You'll probably:
Have experience working with local communities.
Be confident managing your own workload and prioritising your time.
Enjoy building relationships and bringing people together.
Be organised, practical and reliable.
Be comfortable working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Enjoy encouraging other people to develop ideas and confidence.
Be adaptable and comfortable working in a role where no two weeks are the same.
Take pride in creating welcoming spaces where people feel they belong.
Care about making Govanhill an even better place to live.
Essential experience
Experience in community organising, community development or a similar community-based role.
Experience building relationships with a wide range of people.
Experience organising activities, events or projects.
Experience working independently and managing your own workload.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Good organisational skills.
Confidence using Google Workspace and other everyday digital tools.
Desirable
It would also be great if you have:
Experience working in Govanhill or another diverse urban community.
Experience supporting volunteers.
Experience facilitating workshops or community meetings.
Experience managing or developing a shared community space.
Experience creating written or digital content.
Experience working in the voluntary, charity or social enterprise sector.
Knowledge of local organisations and community networks.
The ability to speak one or more community languages.
Why work with us?
We're a small organisation where everyone plays an important role. You'll have the freedom to develop ideas, shape how the role grows and make a real contribution to both our community work and our journalism.
You'll be joining a friendly, supportive team that believes local journalism should do more than report on communities. It should help strengthen them.
We offer flexible working, opportunities for training and development, and the chance to help build something genuinely different in Govanhill.
We welcome applications from everyone
You don't need to meet every point in the person specification to apply. If you think you'd be a good fit for the role, we'd love to hear from you.
We're committed to building a diverse team and particularly welcome applications from people who are under-represented in the charity, community and media sectors, including people from Black and minority ethnic communities, migrant and refugee communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people and people from working-class backgrounds.
If you need any adjustments to the application or interview process, just let us know.
How to apply
Please send us:
Your CV. If you don’t already have one, keep it simple. We just want to see your most recent and relevant experience. It doesn't need to be fancy, beautifully designed or list every job you've ever had. We don't need an explanation for any gaps in your CV. We're much more interested in what you've done than what qualifications you have.
A one-page covering letter. Tell us why you'd like to work with us and what you'd bring to the role. We'd love to hear about something you've done that you're particularly proud of, what you've learned from working with communities, and any ideas or interests you'd be excited to explore at Greater Govanhill.
A response of no more than 300 words to this scenario:
A couple of local residents drop into the Community Newsroom because rubbish is regularly being dumped in their back lane. They've reported it several times, but the problem keeps happening. They know some of their neighbours are frustrated about it too, and they want to do something, but aren't sure where to start.
How would you approach this? What would you do first, who might you involve, and how could the Community Newsroom and Greater Govanhill magazine help?
Email your application to training@greatergovanhill.com with Community Organiser Application in the subject line.
The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Monday 31 August.
We'll let you know by the end of Thursday 3 September if you've been selected for interview. Interviews will take place on 10 and 11 September.
A note on AI use
We want to hear from you in your own words, so we'd prefer you not to use AI to write your application. If you do use AI, including for accessibility or writing support, that's fine, but please tell us briefly how you used it. We're interested in your experience and ideas, not perfectly polished writing.
Accessibility
We want our application process to be accessible. If you need this information in another format, need adjustments to the application or interview process, or there is another way we can make it easier for you to apply, please get in touch.
If a written covering letter isn't the best way for you to tell us about yourself, you're welcome to send us an audio or video response instead. We're interested in what you have to say, not the format you say it in.
This role is made possible thanks to The National Lottery Community Action Fund