NEXT month everyone living in England and Wales will be required to take part in the Census - the once-in-a-decade survey that provides a snapshot of households and helps to plan and fund public services.

For the first time, the Census will be held primarily online. And 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.

As Census 2021 approaches, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has appointed two Census engagement managers and four community advisers to support residents in the district.

Bradford’s Census engagement manager is Julia Armstrong and the community advisers are Arshad Hussain, Kyra Rowe, Salima Awad and Harkishan Mistry. They will help organisations, charities, faith groups and community leaders raise awareness of the Census and the value to local people in taking part.

Julia worked with young unemployed people and their families in South London before she moved to Yorkshire last year.

She says: “Understanding who lives in an area is really important to providing the right support to people and I’ve seen firsthand the benefits the Census can have. In a previous role, we applied and secured funding from the Big Lottery Fund using Census data, allowing us to help hundreds of young people into jobs and training.

“Every person counts and I want to make sure everybody in Bradford completes their Census forms when the time comes so that charities, organisations and councils working in Bradford can support their communities, whether that’s from securing funding to allocating budgets wisely in order.”

Harkishan Mistry, Community adviser for the Indian community, says: “I have been an Indian community leader in Bradford since the early 1980s and I’m passionate about getting the community working together. Everyone benefits from the Census. It informs decisions nationally and locally on vital services like mental health care, school places, hospital beds, houses, emergency services and also issues like diversity.”

Arshad Hussain, Community advisor for the Pakistani community, says: “I have worked in Bradford over 20 years. My background is in public health, health promotion, community development and training and I’m passionate about working in our Bradford community. It is important to take part in the Census 2021 as it will support services in the future nationally and locally, services like schools, hospitals, and transport.”

Salima Awad, Community adviser for the Arab community, says: “I have worked in the non-profit sector since I moved to the UK 18 years ago, supporting migrants as well as working with autistic children and adults with social engagement and access to services.

“As a community advisor with ONS, I hope to not only increase awareness of Census 2021 within the Arab community but also show them the benefits of completing their forms, which in turn will help accurately represent Arabs in the UK. They are currently underrepresented and there’s a lack of provision and services for them. The Census is the first step in changing that.”

Kyra Rowe, Community adviser working with the Black Caribbean community, says: “I have been involved with the Black Caribbean community for many years and through the knowledge gained, I hope to increase the participation and awareness amongst West Indians in Bradford.

“The Census is a great opportunity to help recognise the diversity of Bradford and ensure the services used by Black Caribbean community are beneficial and can reduce disparities.”

Covering Bradford North West is Trevor Speight, who will also be working with organisations, community groups and charities to raise awareness of this year’s Census. He says: “The Census is incredibly important. It informs decisions nationally and locally on vital services and ensures funding is invested effectively in areas such as emergency services, school places, hospital beds, housing and roads all based on the information people provide.

“I have been lucky enough to have worked in and around Bradford most of my career and my background has always focused on the management and security of personal data. We know there are many people in the community who worry about what happens to the data that is collected for the Census, and how it might be used. I want to reassure people that as soon as the data has been collected and verified, it is anonymised. This means that there is no way of using any individual’s details. The first time the data is available at an individual level is 100 years later when it is then made available for things like researching your family tree.”

Pete Benton, Director of Census and Survey Operations, says: “The Census engagement managers and community advisers have a critical role in making sure all households know why it is important to take part and how to get the help they need.”

The Census will be run primarily online. Local Census support centres will be offering help, while paper questionnaires will also be available. Census staff will operate in line with the Government’s Covid-19 safety guidance.

The Census will be held on March 21. While results will be available the following year, all personal records will be locked away for 100 years.

* Visit census.gov.uk. To contact your local Census engagement manager/community adviser, email julia.armstrong80@field.census.gov.uk or trevor.speight24@field.census.gov.uk