Who are you?

Don’t be surprised to be asked that question, as Maidstone council seeks to find out what communities now live in the County Town.

The last official statistics are from the 2001 census but since then there has been an influx of migrants from Europe and across the world.

They bring with them new faiths, customs and needs.

A Maidstone council scrutiny committee will now attempt to get an updated cultural snapshot of the borough.

The information will be used by the council to improve many services needed by new arrivals to the town, including housing, benefits and employment.

But it will also ensure that newly-established communities are represented at council-run events, such as the Maidstone Mela, and are able to apply for council grants to run community centres and hold events.

Ian Park, the council’s community development and social inclusion manager, said: “Part of the problem is that the data is not there. It is a national issue. After the 2001 census there is no comprehensive data.

“We know there is a Polish community here because of supermarkets, and because St Francis Church has a Polish priest. We know, of course, there is a Nepalese community because of the Gurkhas.

“But these are only pinpricks.”

He said the council was already involved in equality parterships, had internal policies to ensure all residents were treated equally, and described the Mela as the “showpiece event for multiculturalism” in the town.

He said it was impossible to tell how many different communities may live in Maidstone, because they are not defined by nationality, gender, age, religion or sexuality alone, but by combinations of them.

Sue Towns Okorodudu, chief executive of MVB, formerly known as Maidstone Volunteer Bureau, said: “We want to get involved and offer services to all communities. The major issue the need for a co-ordinated approach to collating information. We all want to know what the communities are, and where they are.”

She added: “We want to promote volunteering to minority and ethnic communities, because it is often not part of the ethos in their cultures.

“We would like to provide a forum for developing community groups, so they can share ideas and resources with each other . We would like to see the appointment of a community development worker from a minority community group, specifically to research and develop BME groups in Maidstone.”

The scrutiny committee plans to interview community leaders in coming months.