Our Strategy

In our 30th anniversary year, we are launching our new strategy From Crisis to Hope. Going forwards, the strategy will guide our organisation in our overall aim of being a lifeline for missing people and their families in the UK. The strategy highlights that people who go missing are often in a crisis and face great harm.

From Crisis to Hope Goals

  1. Going missing is understood as a crisis that can be a matter of life or death
  2. All missing people and their loved ones get the right help at the right time
  3. Fewer missing people come to harm

More than one thousand people die whilst missing each year. Their families don’t always get the right response from police, especially people of colour, and they can face intense public and media speculation, on top of their emotional heartache. The charity is calling for change so that someone going missing is viewed as a crisis, backed by a fair response by police and other agencies involved. The charity also aims to develop its existing helpline support to reach more of those impacted by mental health problems, exploitation and financial problems made worse by the cost-of-living crisis.

Recent research by Missing People and Listen Up found that black people are disproportionately represented in the population of people going missing, that they are more likely to be missing longer than white people, and that they are less likely to be found by the police. This year, we launched our Give Hope Campaign to create a better and fairer future.

Our strategy, strives for an urgent change. A better and fairer world with more empathy for all those affected, regardless of ethnicity. With everyone’s support we can make that change a reality. But we are reliant on donations and legacies to do this.”

– Jo Youle, CEO of Missing People

If you have been affected by a disappearance, access free, confidential, and non-judgemental helpline support by texting or calling Missing People on 116 000. From Hope to Crisis is available in full to read below.

Sign up to be a Digital Search Hero

We have launched a regular email so that you can be aware of new missing person appeals and share them far and wide! We are also calling on all Heroes to be the eyes and ears for Missing People on the ground. Your sighting of a missing person could make a difference in a crucial time.