Help at hand as the Census approaches!

 If so, why not visit the Census stall open daily until Friday 25th March from 9.30am till 4pm outside the Odeon in Southend High Street . 

You can drop in there to discuss any Census issues you may have, or to arrange help filling in the form, if you would like this. 

The final countdown is now under way for Sunday's National Census - the only survey of all the people and households in the country. This takes place every ten years, and it is crucial for Southend to count its residents accurately.  

At the last Census ten years ago, Southend was believed to have been undercounted by up to 16,000 residents - causing the borough to miss out on £millions of Government funding for education, health, transport and public services.  

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Head of Policy and Improvement, Shazia Ullah says: "It is absolutely essential that everyone fills in their Census form because so many decisions and funding allocations depend on the Census.

"We want to make sure that in future, Southend receives the funding and investment it is entitled to. We are doing our utmost to show our residents that filling in the form will help the whole community.

"We can also reassure everyone that the Census data is strictly confidential and individual details are not shared with other organisations or Government departments." 

Census forms have already been delivered to residents' homes. After completion, these forms can be posted back in the pre-paid envelope, or you can fill in your Census form securely online via the census website at (website no longer available).

A population census has been carried out every ten years in Britain from 1801 to 2001 - except in 1941 - and the details of the 1911 Census are now available.  

Since 1920, personal Census information has by law been stored strictly securely, and is only available for viewing after 100 years.