On 21st March 2021 the Office for National Statistics will be carrying out a national census of England and Wales. The census takes place every 10 years, and is an essential part of the way that central and local government plan services and investment - without knowing the number of people in an area and their characteristics, it is difficult to make accurate, informed decisions about spending and investment.
The sorts of services that rely on census data are diverse, but include such essential services as schools, transport, health services and libraries. Some companies also use census data, as do researchers at universities.
While the census provides the most comprehensive national snapshot of people, their households and their homes, the individual submissions are anonymised and are sealed for 100 years. This means that nobody can look at your particular response and learn anything about you - nobody from within government, the council or any charity, company or private individual.
Taking part in the census is a legal obligation, but the census in 2021 will be taking place against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, and the Office for National Statistics is particularly keen to ensure that a high response rate is maintained in these difficult circumstances. The Office for National Statistics has made contact with Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum to seek our assistance in driving engagement locally, and we are very happy to assist them.
Please look out for more information in forthcoming Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum e-newsletters, and also please look at the documents from the Office for National Statistics below. You can find lots more information about the census at the Office for National Statistics website.
Last but by no means least - job opportunities
The Office for National Statistics is hiring staff to support the census, from managers and coordinators to front-line officers who will help people to complete the census form. As you'd expect these are fixed-term roles, but they can still offer an opportunity to earn some extra money, learn new skills or add something to your CV and, potentially, make a real difference to policy and funding decisions affecting Harlesden for the next 10 years.
The second pdf below has more details, or you can find out (much) more information by following this link.