Hanley Town Hall will join more than a hundred buildings and landmarks across England and Wales by lighting up purple to celebrate the upcoming census and its importance to communities.
The event is being organised by The Office for National Statistics (ONS) to raise awareness of census day on March 21, a survey that happens every ten years and gives a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales.
Other iconic landmarks including the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, BT Tower in London and Blackpool Tower are signed up for the celebration, which will see them light up in the Census 2021 brand colour from Friday March 19 through to March 21.
The census helps inform the provision of public services throughout the UK, such as determining the appropriate number of school places and hospital beds that are needed to properly serve their communities.
Pete Benton, ONS Director of Census Operations, said: “The census is such an important undertaking that helps inform the vital services we all rely on every single day within our communities. We wanted to shine a (purple) light on the buildings and landmarks that matter most to their local areas, highlighting the importance of the census in helping shape the communities we live in. We’re thrilled with all the support we have received so far and would like to thank Stoke-on-Trent for their participation. Now is the time for everyone to complete their census and be part of history.”
Council leader Abi Brown said: “We are pleased to be part of lighting up England and Wales to raise public awareness of the census. The information gathered from the census is a vital part of planning local services such as schools, waste collection and transport that are so important to local residents. It also helps to ensure that we get the right funding from government in line with the number of people who live in the city. For these reasons, I would encourage every household in Stoke-on-Trent to complete their census and provide the information needed to serve our changing society.”
Hanley Town Hall will light up purple on Friday March 19 at 8:21 pm.
Every household in England and Wales will be receiving their census letters with unique access codes enabling them to fill in their census online. Census day is March 21, but you can fill yours in as soon as you receive your letter if you’re confident there will be no change in who usually lives in your household. Papers forms are available for those who need it, plus a range of other support. If you need any help, or to request a paper form, you can visit www.census.gov.uk. A census support centre (freephone 0800 141 2021 in England and 0800 169 2021 in Wales) is available.
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