Sunderland landmarks including the Northern Spire, Penshaw Monument and Beacon of Light are among hundreds of buildings and structures across the country being lit purple to mark Census 2021.
The celebration lighting has been organised by The Office for National Statistics (ONS) to raise awareness of Census Day this Sunday 21 March.
The survey happens every ten years and gives a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales.
Other iconic and national landmarks including the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, BT Tower in London and Blackpool Tower are signed up for the celebration.
They are all lit up in the Census 2021 brand colour of purple from tonight (Friday 19 March), tomorrow Saturday 20 March, Census Sunday and into Monday.
The census helps inform the provision of public services throughout the UK, such as the appropriate number of school places and hospital beds that are needed to properly serve communities.
Leader of Sunderland City Council, Councillor Graeme Miller said: “Census ’21 is helping provide a detailed and in-depth picture of our city and all its residents.
“Our landmarks are part of this illustrious national lighting as a reminder that Census Day is this Sunday and how important the census is.”
Joining Northern Spire, Penshaw Monument and the Beacon of Light, are Fulwell MIll, Hylton Castle, High Street West, Cliffe Park lighthouse, and both Keel and Market squares.
Cllr Miller added: “The census is collecting information for Sunderland’s future so I would urge every household to please complete it, if not already.
“The need and demand for public health services, especially in the NHS and at our hospitals and doctors’ surgeries, has been highlighted by Covid. The census collects and holds information that influences where and how we get these vitally important services.”
Every household in Sunderland – more than 120,000 of them – will now have received their census letters with unique access codes allowing them to fill in their census online.
Census day is Sunday 21 March, but you can fill yours in now 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 the website www.census.gov.uk.
The census support centre (freephone 0800 141 2021 in England and 0800 169 2021 in Wales) is available if you can’t find the help you need online.
For further information on Census 2021, visit https://census.gov.uk/.
Sunderland Census facts:
At the time of the last census in 2011…
* 275,506 people lived in Sunderland, including 17,362 students
* 102,844 people were married or in a registered same-sex civil partnership
* There were 185 households with eight or more people
* 12.5 percent of people travelled to work on a bus, minibus or coach while 9.3 percent went on foot
* There were 1,618 metalworking production and maintenance fitters, 88 ship and hovercraft officers, and 42 boat and shipbuilders and repairers.
