THE Evening Times has welcomed a new reporter for the East End of Glasgow - and she is determined to make our reader's voices heard.

Cat Cochrane has joined our news team as one of around 80 Community Reporters across the UK funded by Facebook.

The 42-year-old now lives in the area she will be covering.

Cat believes this gives her a real advantage when it comes to making sure her patch of the city is fully represented.

She said: "The East End has a very particular character.

"It has a rich history and is a very proud place. I want to write about people from the East End that other people can really relate to.

"In particular, I want to look at housing - is there going to be enough social housing?

"Are there enough sport and health opportunities in the area and is it accessible for all age groups?

"I want to find the stories that otherwise wouldn't be told."

Cat had a real love of English literature and writing when she was at school but didn't carry on to university.

Instead, she says, she gained many qualifications from "the university of life", travelling extensively and working in a variety of different jobs.

She has sold cameras in Dublin and worked in a chocolate factory in Holland... but she believes she has found her real passion in journalism.

Cat said: "I ended up working in City of Glasgow College and when I was there my passion for writing was still with me so I did a creative writing course with the Open University.

"I realised that my passion for writing was still strong but that creative writing was never going to pay the mortgage or even one bill so I turned to journalism and realised I had found my true vocation."

Cat intends to be out on her patch as much as possible speaking to "ordinary people doing extraordinary things."

She said: "I am going to a lot of community council meetings and hearing that people are scunnered about journalists coming in and telling stories about them - but I want to engage with people.

"I am not looking for scandal and dirt.

"I am giving people that bit of autonomy where they can shape what is being written about in their area.

"I really want to speak to grass roots organisations that maybe don't get the coverage elsewhere."

These new positions have been created thanks to a £4.5 million charitable donation to the NCTJ - the National Council for the Training of Journalists - to support a two year Community News project with regional publishers which also aims to bring more diversity into newsrooms.

If you have a story for Cat, contact hre via cat.cochrane@newsquest.co.uk or 0141 302 6163.