The 2011 Census

On 27 March, the census will take a snapshot of society in England and Wales. So any day now a questionnaire will arrive in the post asking you about your household and all the people living there. Your household is one of around 25 million in England and Wales taking part.

If you need assistance or have any questions please visit http://www.census.gov.uk/ or you can telephone the Census helpline on 0300 0201 101.

Should you need assistance filling in your questionnaire, you are welcome to attend one of the following completion events:

• Upcher Community Partnership, Sheringham- Tues 29 Mar 2pm - 7pm
• Poppyland Partnership, Merchants Place, Cromer  - Mon 4 Apr 10am - 4pm

People have untill 6 April to complete their census questionnaire online or return it in the post. The quickest way to return the questionnaire and get it to the Office for National Statistics before the deadline is to do it online.

All completed questionnaires are ticked off the list as they are returned. If a form has not been returned by 6 April, one of 35,000 census collectors will visit within the following few days.  Collectors will offer help and advice to those who have had difficulty filling in their census forms and will supply replacement questionnaires if they have been lost or damaged.

More than that, census results are a national treasure, with genealogists – family historians – able to search back through time to discover how their ancestors lived when the confidential answers that people give are released after 100 years.  You can access some historical census records over the internet and you local library is often a good place to start for more information about tracing family history.

North Norfolk District Council has been working closely with the Office for National Statistics to help make sure that the next census is a success. Because census results are vitally important to make sure North Norfolk gets its fair share of funding from government - to help give you the facilities and services you deserve - we all need to be counted. The census is in March 2011, but in the meantime, if you want to find out more, check out some of the sites listed below.

You can play with the statistics from previous censuses.

• Find out how Noth Norfolk or other places in England and Wales have changed over the years by visiting the neighbourhood statistics site. Use the neighbourhood summary box to see how your area shapes up.
• Or you can look at trends (like families, gender and health) on the UK Snapshot.
• And you can view some historical census returns including ones from Charlotte Bronte, Sir Winston Churchill and Karl Marx.

There is help and information available at the Census 2011 website.

The Office for National Statistics produces a multitude of other statistics and surveys as well. You can have a look at all the work that is being done to accurately describe all aspects of the society we live in.