Every 90 seconds, someone is reported missing in the UK. In response, we have launched our Digital Search Heroes initiative asking members of the public to share missing appeals and keep an eye out in their area.
Around 170,000 people are reported missing each year in the UK. Anyone can go missing. It could be a friend, a loved one, or a co-worker. It could even be you, battling a personal crisis. Some of the most common reasons for going missing are mental health and financial problems. When people go missing, they are at high risk of homelessness and coming to harm. National Crime Agency figures show that the number of people dying while missing has increased year on year for the past three years, with suicide the most common cause.
That is why today we’re teaming up with the OMBLES to better raise awareness of missing appeals across the country.
One Minute Brief of the Day:
Create posters and videos to promote @MissingPeople's Digital Search Heroes Initiative to under 35’s, asking members of the public to share local missing appeals and be on the lookout in their area.
Tweet your entries to @OneMinuteBriefs & @MissingPeople with the hashtag #MissingPeople
Remember to include your Twitter handle in the top left-hand corner of your submissions. Enter as many times as you like. Deadline 6pm GMT.
You can also share your entries via stories and posts to @MissingPeople on Instagram!
WINNER: Missing People merch + the opportunity to have your idea shown on billboards and social ads nationwide
Key statistics and figures:
Someone is reported missing every 90 seconds in the UK
Almost 170,000 people are reported missing every year
There are 320,000 reported missing incidents every year
Key statistics and figures:
Missing people: of the 170,000 people reported missing nearly 97,000 are adults and more than 70,000 are children
Missing incidents: of the 320,000 reported incidents, more than 130,000 incidents are adults and almost 190,000 incidents are children
Looked after children are at high risk of being reported missing. 1 in 10 looked after children are reported missing compared to 1 in 200 children. Looked after children who are reported missing will be reported on average 6 times
Most of the people who are reported missing may be experiencing some kind of vulnerability or risk. This can be exacerbated by being missing, particularly where someone goes missing more than once.
What is ‘missing’?
There is not one multi-agency definition of missing, however for definition for police is “anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established will be considered as missing until located, and their well-being or otherwise confirmed.”
About Missing People
Missing People is a national charity that exists to ease the heartache experienced by those missing someone, and to help people who are away from home, find their way back to safety.
Our vision
For every missing child, adult and family left behind find help, hope and a safe way to reconnect.
We provide free, confidential support, help and advice by phone, email, text and live chat, including the opportunity to reconnect. We also coordinate a UK wide network of people, businesses and media to join the search for the estimated 170,000 people who go missing each year.
Our work and services
A free and confidential helpline, available 7 days a week for missing people and their families;
Family support, including telephone counselling;
Runaway Helpline, supporting children and young people who are away or thinking of leaving;
Supporting missing people with returning and reconnection;
Receiving anonymous sightings and passing to police;
Case publicity to help families and police appeal and search for a missing person;
Specialist ‘SafeCall’ service for children and young people, and their families, experiencing exploitation;
Services, consultancy and training for professionals working with missing people and their families;
Research into links between missing and specific issues;
Campaigning and lobbying on behalf of missing people and their families