There’s a new year on the horizon and with 2021 comes the census.

For those of you who don’t know, the census is a once-in-a-decade survey that gives us the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales.

By taking part, you can help inform decisions about services that shape your community, such as healthcare, education and transport. That’s why it’s important that you fill in your census questionnaire because it helps to give the most detailed information we have about our society.

Without the information you share, it’d be more difficult to understand our community’s needs and plan and fund public services. Not only do councils and the NHS use this data but also charities when they need evidence and data for funding applications. So, you can see how important it is for your own community here in Birmingham.

Census Day is on Sunday 21 March and ahead of that, the Office for National Statistics will send you a letter in the post with an access code and instructions.

You can do your census online as soon as you get yours. If your household circumstances change on Census Day, you can let the ONS know.

The ONS aim to make things as easy as possible for everyone, but if you need help taking part in the census, there’s a wide range of support services available.

You can request support for yourself, or someone else, including guidance and help in many languages and formats, a paper version of the questionnaire, if you prefer, and also accessible census guidance, for example, in braille.

There is a help area on the census website at www.census.gov.uk . It covers everything from who to include on the questionnaire to how to answer each question.

Interestingly, the census has a strong record of being carried out as it has taken place every decade since 1801 - with the exception of 1941, during World War Two. In fact, it even took place following the last pandemic involving the Spanish Flu in 1921.

We’ll be keeping you updated on census news as Census Day approaches, so watch out for more information on this blog. There are also a range of local jobs with Census 2021 on offer and you can find out more at www.censusjobs.co.uk.