CHRIS BETHELL / FAIRBOURNE

‘Fairbourne is a seaside village in Gwynedd, Wales that has regularly featured in local and national headlines over the past few years after claims it’s residents will be the first climate refugees in the UK. Officials declared they would stop maintaining the village’s sea defences in the 2050s which many believed was effectively signing the area’s death warrant. This led to the tanking of house prices and further uncertainty in Fairbourne, but it’s future has since been contested with some experts weighing in that houses won’t be underwater for a much longer time.

I went along with Rhys Thomas to shoot a story about Fairbourne’s youth but sadly discovered there really isn’t much of a population there between the ages of eighteen to mid twenties: only finding three people with two declining to be a part of the piece. Because of this the piece sadly didn’t get published but i like the images as a short photo essay so still wanted to share.’ Chris Bethell