The Census is Here!

Hopefully you will have now received your 2011 Census questionnaire. Every household is required by law to fill in and return a questionnaire. Although official Census Day is Sunday 27th March 2011, you can fill in your form anytime up until 6th April, as long as the information you provide is the same as it would be on Sunday 27th March. Even if you are out of the country on the day, you still need to complete your form. It is important that we count as many people in Bristol as possible. This is so that the City Council, police, fire and health services can ensure they get a fair share of central government funding. The data is also used to plan facilities and services for the future – hospitals, schools, housing, recreational facilities, community projects and roads. We need to count everyone who currently uses these services and facilities in Bristol – including students who make up a large proportion of the population of Bristol. You can complete the forms online at www.census.gov.uk, this will take about 10 minutes. Alternatively you can complete the paper version, which will take 30 minutes on average, and post it back. If you haven‘t returned your form by 6 April, a Census Collector - who will be wearing a photo ID badge – will knock at your door to remind you to fill it in. All your personal details are kept confidential for 100 years. The Office for National Statistics is not allowed by law to divulge any personal data to any Government Department or agency. Bristol City Council will not see the information either. If you‘re unsure about or have difficulty completing your census questionnaire, there will be lots of ways you can get help: Online help at www.census.gov.uk will guide you, whether or not you‘re completing online. Extra help is also available online for anyone who needs it, including British Sign Language (BSL) video, audio and Braille guides, large print questionnaires, translation guides and an Easy Read booklet. The census telephone helpline 0300 0201 101 (charged at local rate) can provide help and advice in English, Welsh and over 50 other languages. Census collectors will visit households that have not returned their questionnaire by 6 April. They can answer questions and help you fill it in.

So please support our city and its future by filling in and returning your Census ques- tionnaire.

Are you ready for census 2011?

The 2011 Census will take place on Sunday 27^th March 2011. The census counts everyone in the United Kingdom, but the the results are also used by central government as the basis for allocating about £100,000,000,000 – yes, one hundred billion pounds – of funds to local authorities every year. The statistics gathered in March will determine the allocation of funds for the next ten years to housing, education, health, recreation, roads and transport, so it is important to get the count of people as accurate as possible

Some local authorities have estimated that for every 1000 people in their population they receive about £500,000 in grants. Bristol City Council estimate that at the last census in 2001 there was an undercount of about 10,000 people. Although the cost of the census sounds a lot at about half a billion pounds, the actual cost per person over 10 years is about 87 pence. More information about the census can be found at www.census.gov.uk.

The census will create about 240 part time and full time jobs in the Bristol area. More details can be found at www.censusjobs.co.uk.

Although Census Day is a long way away (Sunday 27th March 2011), now is a good time to remind people of the importance of taking part in the largest social project of the decade. If you would like to know more about the 2011 Census please contact the Bristol Area Manager for the 2011 Census, Bill Clark, who can be contacted by email at k105@census.gov.uk, or by phone on 07801331522.