Missing People
Missing People is the only UK charity providing a free confidential lifeline for missing children and adults and the families affected by their disappearance, operating a 116 000 helpline, TextSafe, SafeCall, and family support services UK-wide, funded through donations, fundraising, legacies, and commissioned public-sector services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Missing People does
Missing People is the only UK charity dedicated exclusively to providing a lifeline for missing children and adults and the families and friends affected by their disappearance. Founded in 1994 and registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (1020419) and the Scottish Charity Regulator (SC047419), the organization is headquartered in London and operates UK-wide. Its core service portfolio centers on a free confidential helpline (116 000) accessible seven days a week by phone, text, WhatsApp, and online chat; the TextSafe® police-triggered SMS outreach service that reaches missing individuals from a neutral sender; SafeCall for young people at risk of going missing or exploitation; family support with dedicated Family Support Workers; lost contact tracing; missing appeals and publicity management; return interviews for children; and practical guidance on guardianship and presumption of death across UK jurisdictions.
The technology footprint consists of secure case management databases, multi-channel communication platforms (helpline, SMS, WhatsApp, online chat), and a peer support community delivered via a private Facebook group. Volunteer amplification is driven by the Digital Search Heroes programme, which distributes missing appeals to a volunteer network for organic social sharing. A £1 million People's Postcode Lottery Dream Fund award in October 2024 has enabled a joint Search Dog Heroes project with Lowland Rescue, adding operational search capability. The charity is GDPR-compliant, registered with the ICO, and operates within the Fundraising Regulator's framework.
Missing People is funded through a diversified revenue model comprising individual donations, fundraising events (including the Cyclothon at Brands Hatch), major donor giving circles, legacies and bequests, charitable trust and lottery funding, commissioned services from police forces and local authorities, an online merchandise shop, and corporate partnerships (notably a three-year Trainline partnership). All services to end users are free; revenue flows entirely from voluntary giving and public-sector commissioning. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Justin McLaren, with Jo Youle as CEO, Zoe Hart as Director of People, Digital and Organisational Development, and David Stein as Company Secretary.
Missing People firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Missing People
- Legal name
- Missing People
- Website
- https://missingpeople.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Missing People is the only UK charity providing a free confidential lifeline for missing children and adults and the families affected by their disappearance, operating a 116 000 helpline, TextSafe, SafeCall, and family support services UK-wide, funded through donations, fundraising, legacies, and commissioned public-sector services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Missing People industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Missing Persons Support Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)
Keywords
Where Missing People is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Missing People business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting the charity's mission. The website provides easy donation options and fundraising pages for supporters.
- Fundraising Events: Revenue from organised events including the Cyclothon challenge, third-party events, and community fundraising activities.
- Major Donor Giving Circles: Structured major donor programme with giving circles for significant supporters, providing enhanced engagement and recognition.
- Legacies and Bequests: Gifts left in supporters' Wills, with dedicated legacy programme and legacy gifts privacy policy for administering bequests.
- Charitable Trust and Lottery Funding: Funding from charitable trusts, foundations and lottery sources such as People's Postcode Lottery Dream Fund (£1million for Search Dog Heroes project).
- Commissioned Services: Professional services commissioned by police forces, local authorities, and other agencies including return interviews, SafeCall exploitation support, and child criminal exploitation services.
- Online Shop: E-commerce sales of merchandise through the online shop at shop.missingpeople.org.uk and missingpeoplecharity.shop.
- Corporate Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with companies such as Trainline (3-year partnership) providing workplace giving, employee fundraising, and promotional support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Helpline Service |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | TextSafe Messaging |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | SafeCall Support Service |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Family Support Services |
| Subscription | Monthly | Donation-based Support |
| Subscription | Annual | Major Donor Giving Circles |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels10 records
Missing People product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Missing People is a UK charity providing free confidential support services for missing children, adults, and their families through a 24/7 helpline (116 000), TextSafe® SMS outreach triggered by police, SafeCall support for at-risk youth, family support workers, lost contact tracing, and missing appeals management. The charity also delivers commissioned professional services — including return interviews, child criminal exploitation support, and Search Dog Heroes — to police forces and local authorities across the UK.
Product overview
Missing People operates as a single-platform charity offering multiple interconnected support services for missing persons and their families. The core offering centers on a 24/7 free helpline (116 000) accessible by phone and text, supplemented by the TextSafe® police-triggered outreach service. Family support includes dedicated Family Support Workers, an Online Peer Support Facebook group, and Return Interview services for children. The organization provides tracing capabilities through Lost Contact services and publicity management through Missing Appeals and the Digital Search Heroes volunteer network. Additional specialized services include SafeCall for at-risk youth, a Child Criminal Exploitation Support Service, a DIY Capture a Scent Kit, and the Search Dog Heroes partnership. Practical support encompasses legal/financial guidance, Guardianship application assistance, and Presumption of Death guidance across UK jurisdictions. The portfolio functions as an integrated ecosystem where police referrals, family support, publicity campaigns, and search capabilities connect through shared case management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SafeCall: A free and confidential support service for young people who are at risk of going missing or being exploited, and feel unsafe or unsure where to turn.
Products and services
- Helpline (116 000) Free confidential helpline available 7 days a week, 10am-10pm, reachable by phone, SMS, WhatsApp, and online chat, providing emotional and practical support to missing persons and their families.
- TextSafe® Trademarked SMS outreach service sent from Missing People (not police) to a missing person's mobile phone, triggered by police request, informing them of confidential helpline services available.
- SafeCall Free confidential support service for young people at risk of going missing or being exploited, and for those who are away from home or thinking of leaving.
- Family Support Service Ongoing support for families and friends of missing persons, including dedicated Family Support Workers providing emotional and practical assistance throughout the search and after return.
- Lost Contact Tracing Service Tracing service that helps families reconnect with relatives they have lost contact with over time, using reputable sources to identify possible addresses and reaching out via written communication.
- Missing Appeals Service Publicity creation, management, and removal service for missing persons, including poster creation, media liaison, and digital footprint removal after the person is found.
- Online Peer Support Group Private Facebook group where families and friends affected by missing persons can connect, share experiences, and provide mutual peer support.
- Return Interview Service Independent return home interview service for young people who have been missing, offering a confidential space to discuss their experience away from home. Delivered in commissioned areas.
- Capture a Scent Kit DIY scent capture kit with instructions for families to collect and store a missing person's scent using everyday household items, preparing for potential search dog deployment.
- Search Dog Heroes Partnership project with Lowland Rescue to develop search dog capabilities for missing persons searches, funded by £1 million from People's Postcode Lottery Dream Fund.
- Child Criminal Exploitation Support Service Specialist support service for young people, parents, and carers affected by gang exploitation and county lines criminal exploitation.
- Digital Search Heroes Programme Volunteer programme that signs up supporters to receive email alerts about missing appeals and share publicity through their own social networks to amplify search reach.
- Practical Help Services Guidance service covering the immediate practical impacts of a missing person, including legal and financial information, guardianship, and presumption of death across UK jurisdictions.
- Emotional Support Services Resources addressing the emotional impacts of someone going missing, including coping strategies, peer connection, and guidance for children and supporters of missing persons.
Quantifiable outcome
- Someone reported missing every 90 seconds in UK
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Missing People
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Missing People technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature4 records
Missing People partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- The IndependentmajorMedia partnership for SafeCall launch, providing extensive coverage to raise awareness of the lifeline for children and young people at risk of going missing or exploitation.
- TrainlinecoreThree-year corporate partnership providing employee fundraising, workplace giving, and promotional support. Partnership celebrated in November 2025 demonstrating sustained collaboration.
- Lowland RescuecorePartnership with Lowland Rescue for Search Dog Heroes project, jointly awarded £1million from People's Postcode Lottery Dream Fund. Combines Missing People's expertise with search and rescue operational capability.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Missing People competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Missing People social profiles
Digital presenceMissing People compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Missing People financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Missing People leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Missing People funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Missing People M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Missing People
What does Missing People do?
Missing People is a UK charity providing free confidential support services for missing children, adults, and their families through a 24/7 helpline (116 000), TextSafe® SMS outreach triggered by police, SafeCall support for at-risk youth, family support workers, lost contact tracing, and missing appeals management. The charity also delivers commissioned professional services — including return interviews, child criminal exploitation support, and Search Dog Heroes — to police forces and local authorities across the UK.
Is Missing People a public or private company?
Missing People is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Missing People founded?
Missing People was founded in 1994.
Where is Missing People based?
Missing People is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Missing People make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are fundraising Events, major Donor Giving Circles, legacies and Bequests, charitable Trust and Lottery Funding, commissioned Services, online Shop and corporate Partnerships.
Does Missing People have an API?
No public API is recorded for Missing People.
What industry is Missing People in?
Missing People's product category is Missing Persons Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAB, Housing Assistance & Homeless Services. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.