Missing People Website
Call Missing People on 0500 700 700. 24 hour confidential Freefone service.
- other press releases:
- press release: London River Charity Film Premiere in Aid of Missing People
- press release: Local Charity Marks 'Volunteers Week' By Calling for New Recruits
- press release: Organisations highlight International Missing Children's Day
- press release: Third Anniversary of Madeleine McCann's Disappearance
- press release: More Help for Missing People and Their Families
- press release: London Run Remembers Missing Loved Ones
- press release: Kate McCann Joins Charity Run in Aid of Missing People
- press release: Celebrities Join Charity Run to Remember The Missing
- press release: Charity Launches Run to Remember Those Who Are Missing
- press release: GMTV Launches 'Come Home for Christmas' Appeal
Charities Awarded 116 European Helpline Numbers in the UK
Ofcom today confirmed the organisations that will run the first pan-European 116 helpline phone numbers in the UK.
Every year Ofcom allocates millions of telephone numbers to communications providers for homes, businesses and organisations to use. Ofcom’s role is to ensure the best use is made of the UK’s finite telephone number resource.
The following organisations have been selected to provide their services on these 116 numbers:
- Missing People will use 116 000 for a missing children helpline;
- NSPCC* (which runs ChildLine) will use 116 111 for a child helpline; and
- Samaritans will use 116 123 for an emotional support helpline.
This follows a selection process by Ofcom who were advised by independent panels set up by the Government. These new 116 numbers will run alongside the three organisations’ existing helpline numbers.
116 numbers will allow anyone travelling around Europe to use these services by calling the same memorable six-digit number, making it easier for visitors to find the right number when they need help or advice.
Calls to these three numbers will be free of charge in the UK, whether made from a fixed line, mobile or public phone box. Ofcom expects the numbers to be in use later next year.
Chief Executive of Missing People, Martin Houghton-Brown said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the charity Missing People to share the Europe-wide number for missing children. The charity already takes 128,000 calls every year and this has extended the opportunities to contact us.”
Ofcom’s Competition Policy Director, David Stewart said: “Ofcom’s role is to enable these numbers to be rolled out in the UK for the benefit of consumers. These new 116 numbers will mean people can call these services wherever they are in Europe.”
More 116 numbers have been reserved by the European Commission for helpline services recently and Ofcom will consult on the proposed arrangements for those numbers over the next few months.
Ofcom’s recent statement on 116 numbers can be found at:
/www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/116/116statement/
