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Council backs charity's campaign to include Forces veterans in census

Council backs charity's campaign to include Forces veterans in census
22 July 2016

DARLINGTON councillors have added their support to calls for additional questions about the Armed Forces community to be included in the next UK census.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) is calling on the Office for National Statistics to include such questions in the 2021 census in an effort to obtain a broader understanding of veterans’ needs.

At a full meeting of Darlington Borough Council on Thursday (21 July), a motion supporting the RBL campaign – which is called Count Them In – was agreed by councillors.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Veronica Copeland (pictured), the council’s Armed Forces champion, who said: “We just do not have enough information about how many veterans are out there, it is up to the individual if they want to come forward and indicate that they are a veteran.

“That is why the Royal British Legion has got this campaign going and I think it is very important that we support it.

“After the 2011 census, we knew more about the Jedi population of the UK than about those who had served in our Armed Forces. Despite an estimated one in ten of the UK population being members of the Armed Forces Community, there’s very limited information about where they are or what their needs might be.

“We have a once in a generation opportunity to change this. By adding new questions to the 2021 census, we can improve our understanding of this unique community and ensure that politicians, charities and service providers fully meet the needs of our serving personnel, veterans and their families. We count on them – let’s count them in.”

The motion, which was seconded by Cllr Wendy Newell and agreed unanimously by other members, reads: “This Council supports the Royal British Legion and PoppyScotland in their campaign to ask the Government to ensure that questions on the Armed Forces community are included in the next UK Census, in 2021, as this information will help ensure they receive the care and support they deserve.”

For more information about the campaign, visit www.royalbritishlegion.org.uk/CountThemIn

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