HISTORICAL FACTS: Polly braden - The Untold Story

‘We were able to live their experiences with them’: the ripple effects of our series about life in coastal towns

A year-long project exploring the lives of young people in coastal areas required a great deal of groundwork to give them a genuine voice and ensure they were properly heard. Their stories captured the imagination of audiences and policymakers alike

The Guardian - UK · Aug 2

One year, 17 towns, dozens of voices: what we heard along the coast of England and Wales

Reporting from some of the poorest seaside towns revealed how young people have been left isolated – but remain resilient and full of hope

The Guardian - UK · Jul 24

Deprivation, resilience and a giant bunny: Polly Braden on capturing the ‘beauty and bleakness’ of young lives on the coast

In the Guardian’s Against the tide series, the documentary photographer got to know some ‘amazing’ 16- to 25-year-olds living on the fringes of England and Wales, and now her work is the centre of a new touring exhibition

The Guardian - UK · Jun 3

Last youth centre in one of England’s most deprived coastal areas faces closure

Pie Factory Music in Ramsgate, Kent, runs creative projects and provides a range of support services, but the building that houses the centre is due to be sold off in February

The Guardian - UK · Nov 9, 2025

‘It’s Sellafield or nothing’: what life is like growing up in the shadow of Europe’s oldest nuclear site

Young people growing up in Whitehaven on England’s north-west coast rely on the power plant for everything from jobs to civic investment. But for those who see their future elsewhere, options can be limited

The Guardian - UK · Oct 7, 2025

‘It has echoes of happiness’: life for gen Z in the seaside town I once called home

The Guardian’s former north of England editor returned to Morecambe after 25 years to discover the place where she grew up has even fewer amenities for young people – and the feeling of being ‘left behind’ is stronger than ever

The Guardian - UK · Aug 20, 2025

‘I feel like I’m in Sex and the City’ – the women who fled Ukraine to start anew

Some found happiness. Some were overwhelmed. Some had to return. Photographer Polly Braden spent two years documenting the lives of Ukrainian women and children as they became increasingly scattered across Europe

The Guardian - UK · Mar 11, 2024

Kickboxing club in Moldova becomes a refuge for Ukrainian children

Friends from the neighbouring countries tell how the sport has helped their families ease the trauma of being forced into exile

The Guardian - UK · Apr 7, 2022