Households across Oxfordshire will be asked to take part in Census 2021 this spring. Census Day is Sunday 21 March 2021. By taking part and encouraging others to take part, you can help inform decisions on services that shape our community, such as healthcare, education and transport. The census is a unique survey that happens every 10 years, giving us the most detailed information we have about our society.
It’s important that as many households as possible fill in their census questionnaire. Without the information, it’d be more difficult to understand a community’s needs and to plan and fund public services. In one way or another, this information touches the lives of every single person living in England and Wales, whether it’s through using census information to plan new schools, doctors’ surgeries or bike lanes. Because these things matter to us all, everyone needs to complete the census. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) runs the census in England and Wales and is independent from government. Your details are protected by law and information published is always anonymous.
Understanding the needs of the nation not only helps everyone from central government to organisations, such as councils and health authorities, plan and fund public services across England and Wales. Information from the census is also important in helping lots of other people and organisations do their work. Charities and voluntary organisations often use it as evidence to get funding. At OCF, many of our reports are produced using community mapping and reporting tool Local Insight, which makes use of open data sources, such as the Census. (More details coming soon on a skills workshop we are running on this in April!)
Census 2021 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. You can also request a paper questionnaire if you’d prefer to complete your census that way.
Everyone should have the support they need to fill in the census. Please check our website and the ONS website for updates on the support available and also for information on how to help others in your community complete their census. Look out for a postcard in your post this month telling you the census is coming and a household census pack at the beginning of March inviting you to take part with your unique access code.
Please can you help spread the word into your communities by sharing messages across your social media or supporting your community in completing the survey.
- Ready made text and images for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In, plus details for larger images are also given in social media posts for partners.
- There are plenty of digital resources that you can use, such as posters and leaflets and this really useful ‘Your Questions answered’ document.
These resources can also be downloaded here.
If you want to help promote the Census in your community, would like hard copies of information, or would like an online presentation/ training etc please get in touch with Sinead Leach on leach49@field.census.gov.uk (Oxford & South Oxfordshire) or Lisa Stead on stead58@field.census.gov.uk (West Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, Cherwell).