Where We Work and Why

The South East of England is recognised as being one of the UK’s most prosperous regions, however the region has significant pockets of deprivation of which are not necessarily always as evident as in other regions. Coastal seaside resorts and major towns and cities along the coastal fringe of the region perform significantly below regional and national levels in relation to the indices of multiple deprivation.

The region contains 318 Super Output Areas (SOAs) in the most deprived 20% nationally. These 318 SOAs are home to more than 485,000 people.There are over 850,000 people living in the 20% most income-deprived areas whilst almost 320,000 live in employment-deprived areas in the South East. 

Significant areas of deprivation exist in the regions major towns and cities, particularly on the South Coast in Hampshire, Sussex and Kent. The majority of the regions businesses operate in the high growth districts of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, however even here a significant proportion of local residents do not have the qualifications and skills required to meet the local job market.

Take a look at the areas we work in and some of the key issues faced by local neighbourhoods through selecting your local area in the right hand column.