Beyond the picture postcards, Britain’s coastal communities are suffering. Crowds flood the beaches during summer heatwaves but they quickly vanish again, leaving behind drifts of rubbish and unstable seasonal jobs. Seaside property is in high demand but affordable only for landlords and gentrifiers.

The cost-of-living crisis and the ongoing pains of austerity trap those at the vulnerable edges of our nation in poverty. Having grown up in rural Cornwall, Natasha Carthew leaves the county in search of a new home. Travelling the country and exploring the villages, towns and cities of our coast, she meets the people fighting to keep these places alive.