Enderby residents, along with households across the Blaby District will soon be asked to take part in Census 2021.
The census is run in England and Wales by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and was first conducted in 1801 with the most recent taking place in 2011. The next one will happen on Sunday 21st March 2021.
The census is a once-in-a-decade survey that provides the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.
The difference this year is that the COVID pandemic/lockdown restrictions has meant it is a ‘digital first’ event and that presents a challenge to enabling participation by the elderly and less online savvy members of the community. There will no doubt some that will need the assistance of others including friends or family members.
You must complete the census by law
You must complete the census by law. If you do not, or if you supply false information, you could be fined up to £1,000. Some questions are clearly labelled as voluntary. It is not an offence if you do not answer these. 1
Census Engagement Manager for the area, Christopher Leedham, told Enderby EYE that the 2021 Census will be the first run predominantly online, with households receiving a letter with a unique access code, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their computers, phones or tablets.
“There are also part time temp jobs available for the Census which can be applied for at https://www.censusjobs.co.uk/. We would love local people to apply for these roles.” 2
Census Officers will have personal protective equipment and work in line with government guidance. Census Officers will never need to enter a household.
Iain Bell, deputy national statistician at Office for National Statistics, says. “A successful census will ensure everyone from local government to charities can put services and funding in the places where they are most needed”
“This could mean things like doctors’ surgeries, schools and new transport routes. That’s why it is so important everyone takes part and we have made it easier for people to do so online on any device, with help and paper questionnaires for those that need them.”
The census will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity. And, for the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Results will be available within 12 months, although personal records will be locked away for 100 years, kept safe for future generations.
Even back in 2011 the Office of National Statistics was reported to be considering what it called “new and more effective ways” of gathering statistical data on the British population. COVID may be forcing urgency into that debate.
For more information, visit census.gov.uk.
Interesting factoids!
On Census Day in 2011, 6,242 people put their religion as ‘Heavy Metal’ and 176,632 people identified as Jedi! (This was down from 390,127 in 2011}
Filling out records for his parishioners, a 19th Century minister – the Very Reverend Dr Peter Scrimshire Wood – recorded a butcher as a “cut throat of pigs”, and mothers of illegitimate children as “whore and man trap”!
1 https://census.gov.uk/about-the-census/why-should-i-take-part/
2 Census Officers will have personal protective equipment and work in line with government guidance. Census Officers will never need to enter a household.
For more information, including online help with form-filling, visit census.gov.uk.
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/census2021
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