Mark this Sunday. It’s the day of the 2011 Census. And it’s vital that residents complete forms as millions of pounds could be lost to invest in public services.

As Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales says it has always been a big concern as to how the information collected will be used to determine the amount of money we receive.

“The size of our population has always been a thorny subject because we think the Office for National Statistics, who are responsible for the census, are undercounting us by at least 20,000 people, though in reality it is probably far more than that. If this undercount continues after the census we will lose �120m – a lot of money that could be invested in Newham.”

A census rehearsal designed to check that systems and procedures are ready and working before the real deal, only 23 per cent of the properties asked to send back information did so.

The more people who fill in the form, the more money Newham Council gets from government to spend on what matters most to residents.

The census is a detailed count of the UK’s population which takes place every ten years. For each person included in a census form in Newham the council will receive around �6,000 from the government over the next ten years to spend on services.

Anyone who needs help to complete the form can go along to advice and guidance events that are listed on the council’s website at www.newham.gov.uk or call 020 8430 2000 for more information.