2015/16 IMPACT REPORT
A lifeline when someone disappears
1 Welcome from our A message from Chief Executive Nicki Durbin
Being Future Minded. We’ve worked hard to Over the years, respond to legislative changes and deliver ‘best Missing People practice’ in our fundraising, following a difficult year under the spotlight for many charities. has made my quest to find Being Grounded. We’ve delivered vital my child less services to more missing people and their families lonely than it than ever. We have Thank you for joining us for another year of launched 1,728 new appeals for missing In May 2006 I reported my 19 year old son was when I innovation and growth at Missing People. people and have reached 45,642 people. Each Luke missing - that day was the start of the We are a charity led by our values and our one of these people represents a life affected loneliest journey a parent can ever imagine. mission to be a lifeline when someone by ‘missing’. first reported disappears. This year we have lived our Over the last decade Missing People has values by: grown and developed beyond recognition. Luke missing. Being Human. The staff have actively listened to their service users, be it the missing or the families LettingFly. None of this would be possible For that I left behind and implemented astounding We launched ’Say Something’ with NWG without our ambitious, changes in a very short space of time. Network, providing a free, 24/7, confidential passionate team. In January, am eternally way for children and young people to report Missing People was ranked Back in 2006 the charity Missing People suspected child sexual exploitation. number 18 in the Sunday Times grateful. helped with publicity but due to limited Top 100 Non-Profits to work for. I’m proud and inspired to lead our amazing team every resources was not in a position to support day. families like mine in other ways. Despite The most important aspect for me is Making Things Happen. this, there were still key people working the continuity and compatibility with Returning from being My thanks to you, our supporters, who make or volunteering for the charity who were my designated caseworker. It’s just missing can be a all of this possible. This report reflects that phenomenal. knowing she’s there when my grief is so challenging journey. difference we can make together. overwhelming I’m not sure how I’m going to We’ve continued to They continue to help me and thousands get through a day. She never forgets Luke’s expand our return home of other families who walk in my shoes to missing day or his birthday, she has been at support in Wales, thanks retain publicity for their missing loved one. the end of the line when I’m inconsolable, to Big Lottery Fund Wales, They have campaigned tirelessly to change filled with rage or want advice on a particular and launched new local projects for the law in several aspects of “missing” and issue. children and young people across England in created safe environments for families and partnership with local authorities. Jo Youle - Chief Executive friends of the missing to come together. They are dynamic in changing to suit the Nicki Durbin needs of the missing and the families left behind. 2 3 Our year in numbers Seeing you has made me realise how worried people were when I ran away. Since we first met RETURN HOME SUPPORT I’ve put more effort into SERVICES FOR YOUNG talking to Dad and being honest with him about PEOPLE how I feel. That’s helped provide intense 1 to 1 support to find out why a young person went missing, what happened and I’m back on track in while they were away, and what help they need to be safe and prevent them going missing again. school. – Alexa* 14 year old, missing three times in ACROSS SWINDON AND EAST SUSSEX WE DELIVERED: November. She has not been missing since.
A YOUNG PERSON contacted us to say he had seen something on social media about a man assaulting 445 54 a 14 year old girl. We passed this anonymously to the police, who arrested the man. He is now being investigated. 1 to 1 Return Home instances of Support Sessions 55 longer term ongoing 1 to 1 support local schools and colleges given information about our services
SAY JASON*, 15 had a history of mental SOMETHING health issues and had recently been the victim of a very serious offence. To cope, he would Going missing is a key indicator of sexual In October we launched our new Runaway regularly run away and attempt to take his exploitation. In 2015, in partnership Helpline website which provides advice and own life. His father understandably found this with NWG Network we launched the support for young people who are thinking incredibly hard to deal with and when Jason Say Something campaign, which aims to about running away, already away or have was sectioned for a second time and moved safeguard vulnerable children and young returned from being missing. to a remote secure unit, his father struggled people by empowering them to identify emotionally and financially. We provided sexual exploitation and by giving them a The website had nearly 9,000 visits in the emotional and practical Aftercare support channel to report concerns for their own last six months of the year, including from through a keyworker, which helped Jason’s safety, or the safety of other young people Anneke*, a missing young person who we father recognise how important being in regular anonymously. were able to reconnect with her carers via contact with Jason was. We also advocated with a three way call and Jasmine*, who found social services to help with travel costs, allowing Between July 2015 - March 2016 we our website when she started thinking about him to visit Jason more regularly. answered 230 calls, texts and emails from running away as she was worried about young people at risk of, experiencing or telling her family she was gay. reporting sexual exploitation. 4 5 • Volunteers and staff marched at London Missing People’s corporate supporters A lifeline in Pride, shouting about our services and the produced an eye-catching campaign every community re-launch of Runaway Helpline encouraging the public to register for Child Rescue Alert. The campaign was bolstered by donated digital billboard space and resulted in NATIONWIDE over 40,000 new registrations to the system in • Facebook became a key Child Rescue Alert just two weeks. The campaign also benefited partner this year, providing a lifeline by from fantastic support from partners hosting publishing details of alerts in the news sign up days in their offices around the UK. feeds of users within a designated area, on the rare occasion when an alert is issued
• The Child Rescue Alert awards were held at the BT Tower to recognise companies and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the system Royal Mail Group, our 2016 since it launched Child Rescue Alert Funder, • The fifth annual Miles for Missing People continued to find new ways run on Clapham Common raised over to join the search for missing £25,000 people this year. They implemented a national ENGLAND • More than 50 new Community Volunteers system to send missing appeals signed up in the first 6 months of our new • Wiltshire and East Sussex to their network of 123,000 Community Programme Our Partnerships team was commissioned postmen and women as well to deliver 1 to 1 support to children and • Our friends at ICAP supported the Big as giving us a new ‘Freepost young people who have returned from Tweet for Missing Children 2015, which Missing People’ address, being missing achieved a record-breaking 96,000 creating a new way for people retweets. 19 of the children featured have • West Midlands to access our services. since been found Memorandum of Understanding signed with West Midlands Police. This year the • A test of concept project was run to force made over 1,000 more requests for establish the viability of “OwnFone” for TextSafe® than it did in the previous year young people at risk of running away • We trained 10 new Community WALES These are credit card sized phones with Champions and Community Volunteers preprogrammed emergency contacts SCOTLAND • Events in Cardiff and Westminster who are now advocating for the charity promoted Child Rescue Alert to 47 MPs, • Eight concerts performed by the opera • Edinburgh and missing people in their communities Nineteen supporters cycled from Welsh Assembly Members and MEPs quartet G4 raised over £1,500 for the • 10 events promoting Child Rescue Alert Edinburgh to London over five days, • We launched our new Aftercare Service, charity were held through our volunteering raising more than £50,000 made possible by Big Lottery Fund Wales, • Six Carol Services held as part of our partnership with DWP during our Child by holding launch events for each of the Home for Christmas campaign to Rescue Alert campaign in February four Welsh police forces. The first year of remember those missing at Christmas • We secured our first funding from the project saw us contacted by over 2,200 • London the Scottish Government to increase people affected by missing in Wales A month long photography exhibition, awareness and the use of our services “Home for Christmas” was held at St throughout Scotland Martin in the Fields, featuring moving portraits of families missing a loved one 6 7 Influencing policy and practice
Research
• In partnership with Catch 22, we published ‘Running the Risks’, ground-breaking new research on the links between gang- involvement and young people going missing. The report has been shared widely with professionals across the UK, fed into revised Authorised Police Practice, and was mentioned by Ann Coffey MP in a House of Commons debate about Gangs and Serious Youth Violence. • We contributed to an important new piece of research, commissioned by We hosted events in Westminster Railway Children, about the social and the Welsh Assembly about return on investment of Return Child Rescue Alert, with 47 Home Interviews. MPs, MEPs and Welsh Assembly Policy Members attending. ‘The Value of Return Home Interviews’ shows that, for every £1 We influenced governments and politicians to spent on providing Return Home improve the support for missing people and their Interviews and follow up support, families. We supported the social value is generated to the Scottish Government’s value of £3 - £7. work leading the development of the first Scottish Strategy for Missing Persons. The draft strategy reflects the calls for action outlined in our Manifesto for Missing People and highlights the value of the charity’s services in delivering the strategy’s aims • We have shared our research findings at and objectives. national and international conferences across the UK, Belgium and Slovenia, on topics such as dementia, gang-involved Political support for our guardianship campaign has grown significantly, with over 100 MPs We influenced the All Party young people and the impact on Police Parliamentary Group Inquiry into Search Advisors. voicing their support, and the government renewing its commitment to introducing safeguarding absent children, a law enabling families to manage a missing by calling for a new approach to loved one’s finances and property. assessing the risks faced by a missing child and an enhanced, joined up approach from local agencies.
8 9 Our year in numbers WE HELP FA SUPPORT OW MI H LIE ect S FOR ADULTS p as ne t o as A vulnerable man called us in a tearful le t Feel less a state after receiving a Textsafe. d Feel other FAMILY SUPPORT e v anxious 82% ro people p More m cared i % Feel able to He had left hospital after getting 5 83% WE SUPPORTED 8 less alone manage the stressed about a treatment that he G 72% search 62% N I didn’t want, had gone back home 96% E of families would recommend FAMILIES B 3,178 Missing People to someone L and barricaded himself in. L Manage More able to
E t of vulnerable missing people this year 94% cope with practical c in a similar situation relationships 28% e
W p s challenges 63%
improved a He said he had mental illnesses and talked
L e
n
A about how difficult things were, how he o I at least one
t C s Identify ways to talk to aspect of Feel better to manage a missed his children and how he just needed e
O l
t
% % % S search for missing a break. After 45 minutes on the phone, others wellbeing a
person 63% d 91 85 69 36% e our helpline worker’s suggestion of a 3-way v
o r call to police was welcomed. The caller said p
Manage m i Order my he would only talk if we were on the line as of families said we felt we had a families said our day to day % Feel 1 Find thinking 61% 9 had a positive impact positive impact support made them activities well. Police were supportive and happy to help able to strategies on their personal on their social feel more able to 16% G reconnect him to treatment. At the end of the manage to cope N wellbeing wellbeing cope with practical I call, the caller said he felt “a bit less lost”. practical 40% E challenges B affairs 25% LL E We sent We helped We W L launched new NA 5,518 1,925 appeals for SO TextSafe messages to adults PER missing adults this year, that’s through the 1,454 93% more than last year helpline missing PUBLICITY adults THE DIFFERENCE WE appeals for 2,011 missing people shared in print, online, MAKE TO CHILDREN 7 in 10 through broadcast media and children 5,671 digital billboards and young We helped a total ® ? people who TEXTSAFE of 1,647 children call the The annual Carol Service, a time of year The publicity campaign was really positive. You and young people helpline are my sister loved immensely, provides think that someone is trying. It was a really big messages are sent to a through direct already away comfort and support in a way that is deal because if she sees this appeal then at least vulnerable missing child contact through the from home she knows she is still cared about. or adult to let them know helpline and face to difficult to explain in words.” We launched – Relative whose sister has been missing for more that our helpline is here for face interactions – Relative whose sister has been new appeals than two years them. We sent 9,395 TextSafe missing for more than 10 years. for 873 missing messages to children and children and young people this year young people 10 11 Thank you to players My son can’t talk to people of People’s Postcode unless he’s physically moving Lottery for being there around. He chose to stand on the dining room table during Sustained and generous support from their first meeting – but he players of People’s Postcode Lottery and talked! The staff from Missing the Postcode Care Trust since 2009 has allowed us to be there, at the end of People were totally unfazed the phone and via text and email on the THANK Missing People helpline, improving the YOU by this and were so skilled at lives of families and communities affected communicating on his level by missing. Mum of a missing 14 year old autistic boy This year, it’s receiving face to face support on his return from being missing thanks to the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery that we were able to keep our 24/7 helpline open 97% of the time.
It was an immense help over the sad experience. Someone who could answer questions and enabled us to take control of the situation so that it didn’t destroy us. …Helped us understand what my dad must have been going through …. Have an idea what to do for us and him. Daughter whose dad was found safe after being missing for more than 6 months.
The experience was From the first moment I joined I wonderful. I felt as though felt like I was dedicating my time I was singing directly to my to something valuable that makes It’s a constant. It’s so son and it was so healing important. I feel so much a visible difference. Every day you for me and wonderful to better knowing that there’s have the chance to come across a do that. somebody out there trying story that reflects the importance to find a solution. Nephew Peter Boxell is a member of the of the work this charity does. You whose uncle has been Missing People Choir. His son Lee has been missing since 1988. feel like you are part of a family of missing for more than two years highly dedicated professionals driven by the same goal - to help people in vulnerable positions and the families of those missing.
I can call day and night, so in desperation and if I feel I can’t cope, you know, I’ll call. Kinga, volunteer Dad looking for his daughter who has been missing for more than two years
12 13 Two years in: our progress against our three year plan AIM 2: SUPPORT FAMILIES OF MISSING PEOPLE
THIS YEAR WE: • Brought together families of missing people to At the end of year two of our three year plan, form the Missing People Choir I’m pleased to provide an update on the charity’s • Extended our support to include families of progress. These four aims were developed to continue children who return from being missing growing the charity in a solid and incremental way. The • Held Carol Services across England and Wales for families missing a loved one current external environment feels tough and turbulent for us, the sector and society. As trustees, we believe NEXT YEAR WE WILL: in accountability, transparency and see challenge as an • Deliver a Carol Service for families of missing people in Scotland for the first time opportunity to grow. • Increase the number of families referred to us for support via police forces
Missing People is an organisation that doesn’t stand still. It is constantly striving to find more innovative ways to be a lifeline when someone disappears. I’m proud AIM 3: BE THE AUTHORITATIVE VOICE ADVOCATING FOR to Chair an organisation that is ambitious about the MISSING PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES number of people we can help, and the range of ways we provide that support. THIS YEAR WE: • Grew political support for a guardianship law to enable families to manage a missing Kate Adams, Chair of Trustees loved one’s affairs • Supported the Scottish Government to develop a Strategy for Missing Persons • Influenced the All Party Parliamentary Group inquiry into safeguarding absent children
NEXT YEAR WE WILL: AIM 1: SAFEGUARD • Continue to work towards our four manifesto calls; campaigning for a guardianship law, AND SUPPORT MISSING developing a joint campaign to ensure children have a safe place to stay, calling for better PEOPLE education around the risks of running away and gathering support for better help for adults returning from being missing THIS YEAR WE: • Collaborate on research on trafficking and missing with ECPAT UK • Consulted with young people, • Begin research into people going missing and becoming victims of crime teachers and education professionals • Relaunched our Runaway Helpline service with a new website for AIM 4: TO BE A STRONG, DIVERSE AND EFFECTIVE young people and new resources for ORGANISATION young people and professionals THIS YEAR WE: NEXT YEAR WE WILL: • Reached number 18 in the Sunday Times ‘Best Not for Profits to Work For’ list, including • Pilot Live Chat as a new channel for children in crisis being ranked second for leadership and second overall for smaller organisations • Deliver return home support projects for young people in four regions and pilot return • Launched a community volunteer programme home support projects for adults • Developed Theories of Change to inform how we continue to improve and evaluate our • Develop a prevention campaign about the risks of running away services • Seek to expand our partnership with Samaritans for suicidal missing adults NEXT YEAR WE WILL: • Launch a fundraising campaign • Develop a new five year plan to commence 2017 14 • Develop further our position as an excellent charity to work and volunteer for 15 Income: £2,815,000 Income summary
Commissioned services We are pleased to report that the charity raised £2.8 million in the year, Trusts and foundations showing growth of 17% on the previous year. We continue to see benefits £221,000 Raised from our investment in a long-term programme focused on achieving diverse, £717,000 £2.8m robust and reliable income streams at a time of reductions in statutory funding. Individuals and We achieved a surplus of £162,000, which can be invested in our charitable activities for the current year. This reflects another year of sound fundraising performance and continued community careful financial management. £667,000 Missing People is a proud member of the Fundraising Standards Board. In a year where there has been unprecedented scrutiny of UK fundraising, we have continued to offer excellent supporter care, reviewing all fundraising policies to ensure they remain in line with new regulatory frameworks and our charity values. This has included implementing “The Code of Fundraising”, beyond its requirements. Companies Statutory £941,000 £269,000 On average we generate £5-6 of income for every £1 we spend on fundraising.
Expenditure: £2,653,000 Expenditure summary
Cost of generating funds £509,000 Total expenditure showed an increase of 10% on last year and we have 10% continued to focus our spending on front-line services. Expenditure on increase charitable activities rose by 13%.
Volunteers and pro-bono supporters again contributed significantly to the charity. We are particularly grateful to Waitrose for providing office accommodation and thank out of home media owners represented by Outsmart and JCDecaux, as well as our other print and digital Service provision partners who donate space. We are also grateful to Clifford Chance for their services. £1,905,000 Our free reserves policy is to hold three to six months’ current operating Policy and research costs to safeguard against fluctuations that may arise in funding. At the end of the year the level of free reserves was £1.14 million, a little over £239,000 four months’ operating costs. MONTHS
16 17 The Impact of Thank you to our partners Volunteering for being a lifeline.
Our volunteers help us to be a lifeline when Supporters (£5,000+) Benefactors Outdoor Plus Trustees someone disappears. Anne Duchess of Jude & Simon Outsmart and its Kate Adams (Chair) Westminster’s Charity Adamsdale members Caryl Agard OBE This year saw further growth in our Barclays Jod & Andrew Barker People Business Doug D’Arcy volunteering activities. Our range of BHS Tic Bridgeman Primesight Stephanie Darroch opportunities throughout the UK and new Big Lottery Fund Doug D’Arcy Simon and Schuster (resigned November corporate volunteering activities meant a Big Lottery Fund Wales Richard Davies South West Trains 2015) record number of people volunteered. Dept. for Education Monica Dolan TEA Sarah Godwin Donald Forrester Trust David & Linda Telly Juice Jane Harwood Our annual volunteer survey showed how EBM Charitable Trust Heathcoat-Amory Vodafone Ben Houghton Edith Murphy Fdtn John Reiss Waitrose Justin McLaren far volunteering at Missing People positively Our friends at Barclays worked together European Union John and Caroline Simon Moss impacts on our volunteers’ lives. to hold a series of cake sales throughout Facebook Shelford Find Every Child John Reiss (Chair, the summer, and a thrilling, ultra- Garfield Weston Fdtn Peter & Jane Thorne Ambassadors resigned May 2015) Goldsmiths’ Company David & Barbara Richard Lockwood Chris Rollings endurance run, passing through 28 Charity Woods David Sole (resigned 84% Barclays branches in one day! Haramead Trust Child Rescue Alert May 2015) Home Office Major Benefactors Patrons Lisa White Colleagues from Primesight worked ICAP Nic Humphries Richard Youle of volunteers together to organise three Appeal Days John Coates Charitable Selina & Paul Burdell Development Board this year to raise awareness for people Trust The following Stephen & Mandy Oliver Watson (Chair) missing near their offices in Manchester, Leathersellers’ companies and Winyard Alan Brydon said volunteering Company Charity individuals who have Richard Davies Glasgow and London. Two of the missing LexisNexis Risk offered gifts in kind Our Royal Patron Damien Devine has expanded people they appealed for were found Solutions and resources HRH The Duchess of Peter Drummond safe and well. Lockwood Charitable BDP Gloucester GCVO Katharine Hawkesbury Fdtn Big Issue Victoria Jilla their knowledge. Masonic Charitable Catalyst Our Patrons Sarah Speake Fdtn CIL Consulting Sir Richard Branson Darren Topp Mercers’ Company City AM Stephen Fry Tom Willett THEY TOLD US THAT VOLUNTEERING HAS IMPACTED THEM BY: Charity Clear Channel Lorraine Kelly Richard Youle Microsoft Azure Clifford Chance Sir Trevor McDonald Improving their Improving their confidence Enabling them to Mildred Duveen Crime + Investigation OBE Family Representatives employability Charitable Trust Daytona Amanda Redman MBE Trish Cameron meet new people or CV Norton Rose Fulbright Facebook John Stapleton Tricia Cooper Improving their skills Oak Fdtn Go-Ahead London Vicki Derrick Outsmart Google Ambassadors Nicki Durbin Improving their PageGroup Grand Visual Brenda Blethyn Rachel Edwards Giving them greater awareness of issues facing knowledge People’s Postcode Groupcall Julie Etchingham Nadine Fudge our society and of the issue of “missing” Lottery Hopewiser Amanda Lamb Sarah Godwin Philip Morris JCDecaux Kate McCann Alexandra Hicks International Jetlogic Kirsten O’Brien Peter Lawrence QBE Fdtn Kapow Fiona Phillips Ben Moore Missing People offers good quality training Royal Mail Group LexisNexis Risk John Reiss Kerry Needham which not only assists with how you carry out your Saintbury Trust Solutions Alastair Stewart OBE Val Nettles voluntary role but helps with career progression and Streetsmart Metro Martin Houghton- Elizabeth Templeton interpersonal relationships. I have nothing but good Stagecoach Group Microsoft Azure Brown (who sadly died in April St James’ Place Fdtn Mobile Broadband 2015) things to say about volunteering at Missing People, it Swire Charitable Trust Group and its members Monique Tennant has been an extremely positive and confidence building Zochonis Charitable experience for me. Faith R, volunteer Trust
18 19 Missing People @missingpeople 284 Upper Richmond Road West London /missingpeople.uk SW14 7JE 020 8392 4590 @missingpeople.uk
missingpeople.org.uk
Co-funded by the European Union
Missing People Ltd is incorporated in England and Wales. Registered office at the above address. Registered Company no: 2814202 Registered Charity no: 1020419
A lifeline when someone disappears
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