Census has arrived - make yours count
Questionnaires will start dropping through people's letter boxes this week for the 2011 Census on 27 March and every household in Kent is being asked to fill theirs in accurately.
The information that census provides is vital for planning services like schools, hospitals, housing, roads and emergency services.
Everyday life is shaped by the statistics, and the allocation of funding from government is directly related to how many and what kind of people the census says live in our area. Incomplete returns can mean that parts of Kent miss out on funding.
Completing the Census takes around 20 minutes for each household and for the first time this year, responses can also be submitted online
Census Area Manager, Nicky Field, said
"The Census makes a very real difference to people's lives and needs to include everyone, everywhere. That's why everyone has to take part."
In England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics runs a census every ten years. It will not share personal information with any other government department or organisation and the information is kept confidential for 100 years.
Members of the public can find out more about the Census online at
www.2011.census.gov.uk or by calling ONS Census Customer Services on 01329 444972.
Kent County Council, along with local authority districts, is working closely with the ONS to raise awareness of the census and its importance to the residents of Kent.
ENDS
Did you know?
In the Kent census of 1851:
One 19 year-old husband had a wife aged 15, and two husbands aged 70 had wives aged 20.
On census night there were 4178 people listed as being on board vessels in harbours, creeks and rivers.
There were 586 clergymen in the county and also 11 clog makers, 1370 charwomen, 2 female ship builders, 294 woodman, 5028 farmers (369 of which were female), 61 vermin destroyers and 39 umbrella, parasol and stick makers.
The 1881 Kent census lists a James Bond as living in Sevenoaks road in Halstead, Kent. He was 76 years old at the time and was married to Eliza.
The Manchester centre being used to process the completed questionnaires can scan over 9,000 of the questionnaires an hour, the equivalent of 270,000 pages - taking around half a second to scan each household questionnaire.
The processing site has tight security, including number lock doors, and the staff don't get to see the public's names or the whole questionnaire to ensure confidentiality.
Here are five genuine 1921 occupations...
...and five recent additions to the classifications
backwasher: passes wool slivers through back-washing machine, which reconditions them, by addition of oil, cleanses them and improves their colour
cordwainer: shoemaker. Originally, a leather worker using high quality Cordovan leather from Spain for such things as harness, gloves and riding boots
gongman: a porter who sounds a gong on platform and in refreshment rooms of station, to warn passengers of approaching arrival and departure of train
pug hunter: controls distribution of journeys of empty trains to various working districts
smearer: applies oil or grease to surface of leather
environmental psychologist: an individual who investigates the relationship between people and their physical environment. They apply this understanding to the planning, design and operation of a range of areas, such as public spaces, social settings and built environments
forensic accountant: an accountant involved in work relating to engagements resulting from actual or anticipated disputes or litigation
leakage technician: is responsible for trying to locate leaks in the water network
feng shui consultant: a person who positions objects, especially graves, buildings, and furniture, based on a belief in patterns of yin and yang and the flow of chi that have positive and negative effects
acoustician: an expert in acoustics
About the census:
The census provides an estimate of the population of England and Wales and is carried out every ten years by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The information given is confidential and is protected by law.
The statistics derived from the census underpin the allocation of important funding for necessary services like education, transport and health. They are also used by policy makers in central and local government to identify and understand the needs of communities