Life in Maryport: Access to Resources and Services

Intro: This report adds qualitative understanding to an earlier report of health and social data for Maryport (Maryport – A left behind community? Health and Social Data Dive). Methods: Qualitative interviews with residents (n=8) and stakeholders (n=7) undertaken from November 2020 to May 2021 Findings: This report has focussed on access to resources and services for people living in Maryport; it has shown Maryport to be an underserved community and revealed a range of interconnected challenges relating to education, employment, and connectivity. Many of the points raised by informants resonate with the findings in the CMO’s annual report (DHSC, 2021 ) and the OCSI’s work on ‘Left behind communities’ (2019). Conclusions: Maryport can be seen as a typical, left behind, coastal town. Furthermore, the difficulties faced by Maryport residents can be conceptualised as the wider determinants of their health.