Megan, 24 years old from Isle of Wightvery familiar with saying goodbye. She decided university was not for her and remembers how, one by one, she brushed off her friends who had left the island to study. Many never returned.
“I was 18 years old, working in a pub, and I thought, 'What should I do next?' – she says.
Megan landed an internship and now works at an arts organization on the island, but says her position among her friends is unusual.
“I'm definitely an anomaly in the sense that I have a job that I'm really passionate about and really want to do,” she says. “Some of my friends here work seasonally, part-time, mostly in the hospitality and tourism industries. They work a lot in the summer, but in the winter they have fewer hours and a very low income, and they still live at home.”
She says there are few affordable housing options, and because many properties are second homes or Airbnbs, the supply of rental properties is limited, “especially for younger people, as most landlords prioritize families or 'working professionals'.”
“For my age group there are also not many opportunities for social activities – for example, there are no nightclubs,” she says. “There is an older demographic, a lot of retirees, and it feels like 18- to 35-year-olds are the missing group.”
Between the last two censuses in 2011 and 2021, the number of island residents aged 65 to 74 grew by 26.7%. The average age in the area is 51, significantly higher than the England average of 40.
Megan says the prevailing message encouraging young people to “run away” is disappointing.
“Adults say you need to leave the island to succeed, and if you don’t leave, you’ll ‘stay’ useless,” she says. “Then they complain that there are no young people here.”
On the other side of England, in Berwick-upon-Tweed, which borders Scotland, 23-year-old Colette and her friends often say two phrases: “I need to get out” and “we're so lucky to live in a place like this.”
“There is a desire to leave and go see the rest of the world, to leave a city with an aging population, an empty main street, limited views and a place where everyone knows everyone,” she says.
“But there is also a pull to stay: growing independent businesses, a supportive community, festivals, increased arts funding and, of course, beautiful beaches and hills.”
Many of Colette's friends moved away from Berwick due to lack of work. Others continued their studies or education outside the city.
Many of them will not return.
“Most young people don’t want to leave because they hate the city,” she says. “Everyone I know loves Berwick very much. They leave because they don't have opportunities or their friends have moved away.”
Colette returned to Berwick after graduating from Bristol University. She worked at a clothing store and applied for a job in the city, but says others were more qualified for the role. This prompted her to return to university, this time for a master's degree.
“Can I see myself coming back here in the long term if there were more jobs in the creative fields? Yes. But am I studying with the idea of staying? No, I'm probably studying to leave,” she says.
Jacob, 28, is from Gorleston-on-Sea in Great Yarmouth on the island's east coast. Norfolkfelt “disconnected” from my hometown growing up.
“I don’t remember sunny days on the beach, but cold, harsh, foggy walks,” he says.
“I'm gay, but I came out very early, when I was about 12 or 13, and I'm from a conservative town. There's a bit of a culture of conservatism in the area, and so when I came out as openly gay very early on, it meant I felt more disconnected from where I was locally.
“When I was younger, I spent a long time in a state of anger because leaving felt more like 'quitting.' There was a feeling of 'this place doesn't offer me anything.'
After receiving his bachelor's degree, he returned home and worked at the college for a while.
“When you ask young people what they want to do when they grow up, they don't know because they don't have a belief system,” he says. “A lot of people will be interested in fashion or photography, but they won't want to leave. There's a confidence and a sense of inertia that comes with the depression of the place.”
Jacob moved to London to complete his master's degree and is now pursuing a career as an artist in the capital.
Tom, 23, believes it will be difficult to live and work in his home town of Ilfracombe in the north. Devonianwithout parental support.
“Ilfracombe is a great place to live if you love outdoor sports like I do,” he says. “Every time I climb the cliffs at sunset, I feel incredibly grateful to live here.
“But there are also challenges. There is a distinct lack of employment opportunities in the area, and coupled with the high cost of housing, it seems almost impossible for someone like me, who grew up here, to lead a sustainable life without the support of my parents.”
According to the Ilfracombe Centre, it is the most deprived area of Devon and is in the top 20% of deprived areas in the country. Multiple Deprivation IndexDevon Community Foundation reports.
Tom looked for work in Manchester and Bristol but found a temporary position in a local authority close to home and then secured a permanent position.
“I’m very lucky to have a stable, paying job because there aren’t many like that here,” he says.
“I live at home, my expenses are very low and I'm saving money so I could have a deposit in a few years, but a lot of people are renting and working low-paid seasonal jobs, living hand to mouth, so they just can't save and can't buy a property. In terms of big career prospects, it's pretty terrible. It's a big problem in these areas if you can't move out, build a career and then maybe come back.”
It wasn’t just young people who applied. Marty, a teacher from Eastbourne, has two children: a 19-year-old son and a daughter who is studying at university.
“There are no facilities here for young children,” she says. “I told my kids you need to go to university, you need to leave.
“I've worked here for 25 years and all that time there has been talk of better transport links but it hasn't happened. Eastbourne has been 'the next Brighton' and 'up and coming' without any actual change.”
As for what Eastbourne will be able to offer her children in the future, she is not optimistic.
“I'm glad I brought my children here, but I'm worried about what's in store for them when they grow up. I have to tell them: 'There is life beyond the Downs.'
Against the tide The series is a collaboration between the Guardian and a documentary photographer. Polly Braden and reporting on the lives of young people in coastal communities in England and Wales.
