"The village where 22-year-old Millicent has lived all her whole life is often her most closely guarded secret at least until first impressions have been established. It's almost like a superpower, she says. I wait until people are comfortable with me, and then I'll do the big reveal. It doesn't matter where she goes, the story is always the same. I'll go to meet new friends and at some point I'll tell them I'm from Jaywick, says Millicent."
"If the name Jaywick sounds familiar, that may be because it is frequently cited as the most deprived place in England and was once the focus of the notorious Channel 5 TV series Benefits by the Sea. In more recent times it has become the favoured destination of YouTubers making mini-documentaries with titles such as Inside England's Most Deprived Town: The Truth."
"It's got such a nice community, and I don't feel like the one or two bad people should be used to represent everyone, she says. What is without doubt, however, is the lack of local employment for those who grew up here and would like to stay. Jobseekers head to nearby Clacton, Harwich or beyond that is, if they can get there."
Millicent, a 22-year-old lifelong Jaywick resident, often conceals her origin until new acquaintances are comfortable, then reveals she is from Jaywick and encounters pity. Jaywick is frequently cited as England's most deprived place and has attracted TV and YouTube portrayals emphasizing deprivation. Residents express love for the seafront and strong community ties, rejecting that a few negative individuals represent everyone. Jaywick declined after the 1950s from a once-thriving seaside village with golden sands. A persistent lack of local employment forces many young people to seek work in nearby towns, limited further by transport and accessibility.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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