Missing People is the only UK charity providing a lifeline when someone disappears. A charity dedicated to supporting, and campaigning with, missing children and adults, and their loved ones, for as long as it takes. No matter what.
Someone is reported missing every 90 seconds in the UK.
That means life is lonely, scary and uncertain for 170,000 families every year.
Right now, people are searching for children, fearing for their safety. Searching for mums, dads, siblings, grandparents, friends and colleagues, suddenly feeling very vulnerable.
Missing People is the only UK charity whose mission is to provide a lifeline when someone disappears. A charity dedicated to supporting, and campaigning with, missing children and adults, and their loved ones, for as long as it takes. And no matter what.
Someone going missing is a crisis. Mental health is the most significant cause for people to go missing. Other factors include problems at home, care or school, to exploitation and grooming.
In our 30-plus year history we have made significant progress. We are learning and led by the people using our frontline services, every day. Together, with them and our supporters, we are helping to make long-term change to address root causes to reduce the number of people going missing.
“To have someone just to listen and show kindness, compassion, and empathy, it was so important.” – Feedback from a family member with a missing loved one
We also provide practical help: publicity to aid searches, expert advice and guidance, counselling, and one-to-one family support. We work to connect people, create understanding, and offer safe spaces for those affected to come together and share their experiences.
We’re there to stand up for missing people, and their loved ones, making sure they’re treated fairly and equitably - making sure that they get the help they need, when they need it.
Missing People was founded by sisters Janet Newman OBE and Mary Asprey OBE, following the heartbreaking disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh, in 1986. What began as a small helpline run from their home soon became a vital source of hope for families searching for missing loved ones.
Andrew’s story
17 years ago Andrew Gosden went missing after taking a train, aged 14, from Doncaster to London. His father, Kevin, shares his story.
“I think Andrew was perhaps 10 or 11 when he read somewhere that if you planted an oak tree and kept it in a tub the roots would be constrained but it would grow into a fully mature oak tree. At the time, I picked up half a dozen acorns and we had an afternoon where we popped them into a tub of compost.
They grew and gradually I’ve replanted those over the years but kept just one for our back garden to remind us of Andrew. Last year, it produced its first acorns.
Almost every day since he disappeared, I’ve struggled with, at times, crippling anxiety and depression, to the point that it’s barely possible to function at all. No matter how many years pass by without him, those feelings never change and are often intensified by small things that just wouldn’t have been a problem before he wasn’t there. After all the searching, appealing, praying, and hoping, as a family we all still miss him intensely every single day and it never seems to become any easier.
Missing People has tirelessly supported us through these years as they do with so many others.
As Andrew’s oak tree bears the fruit of the acorn, we hope that other families are spared the pain that too many of us live with every single day.”