The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has appointed a dedicated manager to support village residents and help make ‘Census 2021’ a success.
Ruddington based Leia Morales (pictured above) is its new ‘Community Engagement Manager’ for Rushcliffe who will assist organisations, charities, faith groups and community leaders within the Borough raise awareness of the census and the value to residents in taking part.
Leia’s is already a familiar name around our village, having launched her business as a Travel Counsellor last year, written news stories for RUDDINGTON.info and volunteered at the Ruddington Village Market.
She says: “Travel is, not surprisingly, slow at the moment and so when the opportunity came up to work on the Census until May it seemed like a perfect fit around my work as a Travel Counsellor. I am enjoying learning about the Census, how the data is used and about all of the amazing community groups that we have in Rushcliffe.”
The census is a once-in-a-decade survey that provides a snapshot of households in England and Wales, helping to plan and fund public services. Everyone across England and Wales will be asked to take part and the information people give will decide how services are planned and funded. Ultimately, it ensures funds are invested in emergency services, health care, school places and other vital services.
At the time of the 2011 Census, Ruddington had a population of 7,216, of which 48% were male and 52% female. Both the average and median ages for village residents was 42. With a significant amount of new housing since then, villagers will be particularly interested to see how these numbers have changed during the past ten years. The 2021 Census will include a new question on veterans of the UK Armed Forces, as well as voluntary questions, for those aged 16 and over, on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Pete Benton, Director of Census and Survey Operations, says: “The community engagement managers and community advisers we have appointed have a critical role in making sure everyone understands why the census is important and making sure all households across England and Wales know why it is important to take part and how to get the help they need.”
For the first time, the census will be run primarily online, making it easy for most people to complete the questionnaire on any device – whether that be a computer, a mobile phone or a tablet. Local Census support centres will be offering help, while paper questionnaires will be available for those who need them. All census staff will operate in line with the Government’s latest COVID-19 guidance.
In addition, Coronavirus restrictions eventually permitting, Leia is working with Inspire Libraries to provide computer access to complete your census across their network of libraries in Nottinghamshire, including at Ruddington Library.
The census will be held on March 21st 2021. Whilst results will be available the following year, all personal records will be locked away for 100 years and kept safe for future generations. For more information you can visit census.gov.uk.
If you are involved in a local community group, charity, or school and would like more information about how you can support and promote Census 2021 to your community, please get in touch with Leia via leia.morales27@field.census.gov.uk.
