Why do they need to know?

And how many religious and ethnic minorities are put off applying when they get to that question because they are highly offended by it? Would a strict Christian, Moslem or Jew really want to be asked what their sexual orientation is? I think the question itself slews the statistics.

Ever since I saw a documentary on Hitler and the pre-war information gathering census I have had a fear of giving out personal details to nosy officialdom. Due to the facts obtained in the census he knew exactly where to find the victims of his terrible Final Solution and why would a successful wealthy person or a disabled person or a diverse ethnic or sexual person refuse to give their personal details in cultured, civilised Europe? None of them knew the appalling fate which awaited them so why would they not just fill in the forms as required? It's not at all a question of having nothing to fear if there's nothing to hide more that in the future who knows what criteria will be used for God knows what purpose - even though I'll probably be long dead by then!

Of course this does not answer the question of why the government wants to know...

We had to ask the same questions at the Citizens Advice Bureau when clients first came to us. Kittylester and Riverwalk are both correct. The funding for the charity depends on them submitting diversity questionnaires. So answering the questions indirectly helps the charity, but is not compulsory.

cheeky lot aren't they

Ha ha ha, witzend, I like your option MYOB, make me laugh, of course we could always actually write that couldn’t we? In fact I think MYOB..B would be better, if you get my meaning ???

No need to answer oldwoman70, there’s absolutely no need to answer those questions. Often on those kind of forms there’s a box to tick which says ‘ I don’t want to answer’ or something like that, but if there isn’t such a box, just maybe they’re thinking in devising the form that way would make people feel obliged to answer these questions. Not to worry, there’s no legal obligation to answer, though they may be a legal obligation to include the questions. Leave them blank, or if you’re feeling mischievous, tick them all ????

Charity sectors struggle with funding. Lots of work making an application. Then AFTER they receive and use the money they have to do lots more work reporting every way etc it was used.it can be tortuous. It's bureaucracy at every level .
No jump through hoops - no money

My problem with this (objection is too strong a word) is that it feels like people are being viewed by their ethnicity, gender etc. I think you could put me in a group of "Don't ask - don't care".

Thanks MOnica.

I worked for several years in our little local library, where anyone wanting to join had to fill in a form that wanted to know ethnicity and sexual orientation.
I did usually point out that there were a 'prefer not to say' options, though most people seemed not to mind.
Personally I would like a MYOB option!

There was also a question asking whether the person would like books etc. in languages other than English. It is a 'nice' but also fairly diverse area, but to me the question was a waste of time, since our very little libarary would simply not have room for any meaningful amount of stock in umpteen languages - everything from Turkish to Tagalog.

The council was obsessed with equality/diversity - though I know a lot of the requirements came from central govt. Before I retired, every single council employee was required to undergo 'training' - I use the word loosely - in equality/diversity and health and safety.

The 'courses' were all done online and were a complete joke. They each took about 20 mins max and consisted of questions with 4 possible answers. If you got one wrong it came up with a cheery, 'Not quite right - try again!'

Courses were provided by some outside agency - I never did get round to asking how much it had all cost, when the council was constantly complaining about lack of funds and having to cut services.
But never mind - we were all 'trained'. '

A lot of Age UK branches run exercise and other activity courses. Not to mention social and singing groups and even cookery courses.

I can see that charities, etc may want to make sure they’re attracting people from a diverse cross-section of society, but very personal questions on a person’s sexuality, ethnicity and religion are surely generally irrelevant and may put off an awful lot of people. Especially those who may feel isolated due to their sexuality, ethnicity or religion.

Its a question which should be asked at the end of the course not the beginning. If it needs to be asked at all.

I digress but AgeUk... courses?

Most questions like these are usually on a separate anonymous page. If not I wouldn't answer. The question that I hate is Miss or Mrs.

Its just for data purposes. Nobody would be rejected on the answers.

When I volunteered for the Witness Service at our local Magistrates Court, we had to get Demographic Forms filled in and we're told off if they were not diverse enough. Thing is, we could only help the people who were called as witnesses.

The only way to establish whether certain groups - for instance people over 60, women or Chinese people - are accessing certain amenities, e.g. courses, is to ask people what groups they belong to.

If you don't want to answer, then don't, but personally I think it's a bit petty to object.

Baggs What silly ideas about diversity do these questions lead to?

It's not a conspiracy but it is leading to some silly ideas about diversity.

It is helpful though. I don't think it's a conspiracy!

Oops pressed post when the phone rang, but you get my drift.
And the call wasn’t even for me, why am I the only one that picks the phone up?

riverwalk I would ignore it because it’s none of their business which ethnic group I belong to or what religion I am.
Seems to me it’s yet another way of information gathering on us and sending it all off somewhere, if were anonymous then I would fill it in and it isn’t their business what my sexual orientation is.

It won't lead to quotas just more effective targeting at the groups who are under represented.

Oldwoman70 I have been doing courses of all kinds for decades. where the forms required a demographic profile and I have yet to not get a place on a course I wanted to do.

Since I am in the unpopular demographic: white well-educated middle class pensioner. If any one was being excluded at any point, I would have been first on the list.

I understand collecting this information could help with their funding, what I find disturbing is this will surely lead to "quotas", if someone were to apply for a course and they had filled their quota of, say, black transgender, would they be denied access in favour of someone who applied later but was, say, white English? I think this is a form of discrimination. Why not make it clear the courses are open to all and are on a first come first served basis. Surely we should not be "pigeon holeing" people.