Alderney facing ‘big trouble’ as population ages | UK News

Surrounded by sea and golden sands, Alderney – the most northerly of the Channel Islands – is facing a challenge.

With a population of just over 2,000, the island has an ageing demographic which is making some fear for its future.

Those who live in Alderney said a lack of job opportunities, affordable transport and even things to do was leading to an exodus of young people.

“If we can’t retain the younger generation, then we’ll be in big trouble trying to look after the older generation,” said charity worker Barbara Benfield.

Ms Benfield, who was born in Alderney and runs the island’s Age Concern charity, which was hosting a bingo night when she spoke to the , said: “It’s charities and goodwill that support a lot of the things those elderly people need.

“I see every day how many elderly people are here.”

As the game rolled on, she expressed concerns about the rising costs of long-term health benefits and predicted a future of “serious financial trouble” unless the burden eased.

Adding to the financial worries, she said many young people were leaving the island to look for jobs and failing to return when they have their own children.

She said more needed to be done to stop the exodus and suggested it should be made easier for young people to buy homes in Alderney.

“They are the people that the older generation need, they are the people the island needs,” she said.

According to the 2023 States of Alderney census, the island has a population of 2,167.

The data showed for every 100 people of working age there were 83 “dependent” people – meaning they were under 16 or eligible for the pension – an increase from 68 a decade earlier.

The 2023 data showed 45% of the population were of dependent age, with 36% of those being of pension age.

In England and Wales, the percentage of over 66-year-olds was below 18%, the Office for National Statistics estimated.

Figures showed only 9% of Alderney residents were under 16 in 2023.

Those on the front line of caring for an ageing population warned the island needs to “prepare itself” for the future.

Liz Bowskill, who runs Connaught Care, which oversees a residential home in the island and also provides home care services, said: “I’ve seen nothing but the needs of the population increase.

“The risk is that we’re going to have massive gaps in services and potential waiting lists.”

Describing the demographics of the island, she said there was a mix of baby boomers and migrant retirees.

She added many did not have familial support, which was “unusual for a small rock”.

The older population was generally healthy, she said, with many able to live in the community well into their 90s.

However, she warned that was not sustainable.

“There’s only so long you can go stretched on neighbours’ support and neighbours’ care and input from our organisation,” she said.

“Alderney is beautiful – I can understand why people want to retire here and we should celebrate our older population.

“But we need to prepare ourselves for when those individuals need care and make sure we have the right resources and people here.”

Across the road from the care home is 32-year-old filmmaker Cameron Cairnduff, who is working on a video promoting Alderney’s only school.

Born in Alderney, before embarking on a marketing career which took him around the world, Mr Cairnduff returned, he said, to find the island had “started to fall apart”.

Citing empty shops and businesses due to a lack of young people willing to take over, he said: “As the demographic gets older, it gets a lot less appealing for young people to be here.

“Not only are there less job opportunities, but generally we all want different things.

“Maybe the older generation want a quiet life, but young people want things to do.”

The Corder family are also among those feeling the impacts.

Ian Corder, 37, said the availability and cost of travel from the island was a growing headache.

A return trip to Guernsey via plane, just 10 minutes away, currently costs just short of £200 and services can be unpredictable.

“Even though I’m lucky to be able to work from home, you still want and need to get away,” Mr Corder said.

“There are more blocks to doing that and more expense.”

Mrs Corder, 33, a veterinarian who has lived in Alderney most of her life, added: “One of my very best friends has recently left the island with two young children.

“They’ve moved to Guernsey to get the opportunities they need.”

Edward Hill, who topped the poll at a recent election to the States, the body that governs Alderney, said radical changes were needed.

“I’ve lost four families in the past two months, with nine children between them,” he said.

“If something isn’t done, then we will have a very unbalanced population.

“We won’t be able to provide services for the older population. We basically won’t be able to run the island.”

Bill Abel, chairman of Alderney States Policy and Finance Committee, said an older population was not necessarily a drain on States funds because many residents had “their own monies and pensions”.

However, he said the healthcare burden was a “major challenge” and the island needed “younger people to come in”.

He said more job opportunities and a reliable transport service – including an upgrade to the runway – would be an “enabler”.

Renewable energy could bring employment hope, he added, with discussions ongoing over an offshore wind farm and tidal renewables across the island.

“Until we can improve our infrastructure… that’s not going to be a positive for attracting people here,” he said.

It is these problems – and possible solutions – that weigh on Mr Cairnduff’s mind as he ponders the future of the island.

“There’s just something about your home and wanting to protect it,” he said.

“I don’t know anybody else who comes from a community like this.

“I have accepted the fact that if I’m going to be here it’s going to be a lot less exciting and quite lonely at times.”

Islanders need to embrace new ideas if change is to happen, he argued.

“I’m going to stay here until I get a positive signal that this island is heading in the right direction,” he said.