Despite its negative image in the media, Jaywick has a thriving, caring soul, of which local people are proud. David Shaw has been documenting the community
Sitting in the Broadway Club, a members’ club on the main street of Jaywick in Essex open to all, is David, who works as chief frier in a chippy. He speaks of how proud he is to be from Jaywick, while others joyfully sing their favourite cockney classics. Others, such as JB, are not even from the village, but visit regularly for a night of karaoke. At the end of October 2025, for the fourth consecutive time, Jaywick was named Britain’s most deprived neighbourhood by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
The Jaywick Sands Happy Club, established in 2015, is run by Danny Sloggett, a community activist and champion.
