My Personal Experience
I’ve lived in Scunthorpe since I was born pretty much. Went to school here, made friends here, lived my teenage years here and it is a sad, sad place. At the age of 17 I was offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to move to a boarding school in Devon (this was a result of my swimming achievements – I wasn’t rich). This milestone made me realise something. “Wow, Scunthorpe really is bad”.
I often had other people at this private school ask me – “Well is Scunthorpe is so bad – why do you live there?”. Erm? I didn’t chose to live here. I’m not sure anyone who lives in Scunthorpe wants to live there. But anyway, back to the point, I realised how unfair it is from the get go for kids living here. I am now 21, studying Economics at a Russel group university, which is rare from someone from this town. When I come home from University, my friends here are always confused by the concept of studying economics, which in my opinion is arguably one of the most important degrees there is at the moment. They don’t understand how bad things are in the economy right now, because Scunthorpe is terrible ALL the time, not just during economic crisis’.
But why is Scunthorpe so bad? And is there much hope for kids growing up here? Lets talk.
Deindustrialisation
Scunthorpe used to be a town that thrived on steel, but like many towns in the North, globalisation and automation hit hard. As factories closed or downsized, jobs disappeared and nothing replaced them.
Lack of Investment
Its Scunthorpe. Businesses don’t move here. Public services are underfunded. There is no thriving local economy to absorb young people coming out of school.
Wage Stagnation and Underemployment
Even if you do manage to get a job, its often low paid, insecure or zero hours. There is no ladder to climb on. There is no room for growth. Just a trap.
Transport and Mobility Issues
Without a car, opportunities feel almost absolutely out of reach. Public transport is extremely unreliable, and moving away is financially realistic for most people. Then you do get a car – then there is no point moving to a city where transport is good because you’ve just paid for a car due to rubbish transport in Scunthorpe – see the trap?
What Are the Consequences of This Economic Environment?
The result? A whole generation of young people growing up thinking they are failures, when in reality they’ve been failed by the economy around them. Why is it that the kids in the school in Devon had a better upbringing and more opportunities? I studied in a state school in Scunthorpe, I was probably one of the smartest in a few of my classes. When I went to the school in Devon – I was the smartest. The peers in my Scunthorpe school had WAY more potential, they could all be at Russel group universities but instead they work minimum wage jobs whilst those I went to private school with get to study at top universities which will promise them the pathway to a better future. The gap only gets bigger.
Okay enough of that rant – what are the actual economic consequences?
Brain Drain
Almost as it sounds. Talent leaving the area. Young people who are the most able to get out – usually the most academically successful – leave for university or jobs elsewhere and don’t come back, why would they? That means the town keeps losing talent, which makes it even harder to to rebuild the local economy.
Intergenerational Poverty
When your parents struggled to find decent work, and now you face the same thing, poverty becomes a cycle. Its not about laziness – its about not having the same access to opportunities, connections, or capital.
Mental Health Issues Tied to Economic Hopelessness
When you grow up seeing limited futures and constant financial stress, it takes a toll on your mental health. Anxiety, depression and hopelessness are normalised – especially when nobody around you is “making it”
A Growing Belief That Education or Hard Work Won’t Change Anything
People stop trusting the education system, the job market, and even politics when they never see change. Apathy and frustration grow – and who can blame them?
Why This Needs to Be Talked About?
When economists talk about inequality or regional development, they rarely think about places like Scunthorpe from the inside. But I’ve lived it. And I’m studying economics not to just escape – but to understand why so many people feel trapped, and what can be done to change that.
The economy isn’t just numbers. Its peoples lives. Their hopes. Their futures.
Closing
I’m not writing this as someone who looks down on where I came from. I’m writing because more people deserve the chance to “escape the matrix” too.
And I believe economics – done right – can help make that happen.
If you have a similar story you’d like to write about – get in touch!
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