Yoana Yakimova, a 14-year-old pupil at Quest Academy, South Croydon, has won £100 in Amazon vouchers for her winning photograph in a Census 2021 Time Capsule competition, devised to remind the public to complete this year’s census.
The organisers asked residents from across London to share images of items that summed up their year, for a digital time capsule. The photos will be collected and released in 10 years as a digital time capsule in advance of the next census in 2031.
A diary, trainers and a longing for travel were some of the things the Croydon schoolgirl felt represented her year.
Yakimova had been informed of the competition through her school’s design and technology department and entered the photo challenge “as I get to share my interests with others! I chose this blue diary because I like to write about everything that I find interesting.
“The shoes are a gift from my mother who has always been by my side. The airplane represents me and how I love to travel. The bracelet is a special gift from my best friend, it also links to the airplane because this year I am planning on going to the place where she bought it.
“Lastly the roses represent my favourite thing.
“My family already has completed the census,” Yakimova said, “but it’s still not too late.”
Census day was last month, but the once-a-decade survey of who lives where, and how we live our lives, remains open online.
A census undercount may cause your community to be underfunded in future years.
Said the competition organisers, “Completing the census is vital as it helps your borough to allocate the required services and funding for your local community, such as schools, doctors’ surgeries and even new bus stops.
“If you’re not counted, then it is possible that your council won’t be aware of the true scope of the population of people needing resources and services in your area.
Visit www.census.gov.uk to fill it in or to request your unique access code. You can complete it online or request a paper copy. For extra help, call the free helpline 0800 141 2021.
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