Missing persons helpline receives cash boost

The National Missing Persons Helpline (NMPH) has announced that it has been saved from insolvency, thanks to emergency funding provided by the Home Office.

The Home Office has agreed to provide £300,000 for the charity, which had recently announced that it would be forced to close at the end of this month if it did not receive more financial help.

The NMPH, which was established in 1992, has the most comprehensive database of missing people in the UK. The charity is mainly dependent on voluntary donations.

The NMPH said that the money provided by the Home Office would help to provide a restructuring programme. The charity issued a statement saying that it had also received "substantial pledges" from trusts and also stated that it was "confident" that another 250,000 could be raised. However, the charity admitted that it was still in "desperate need" of funds and said that it would continue to pressure the government into providing ongoing core funding, as well as encourage more donations.

The NMPH estimated that it needed around £1.7 million per year in order for it to keep operating its service that includes three Freefone helplines, which handle over 150,000 calls per year.

According to Home Office figures, around 210,000 people are reported missing in the UK every year. Many of these people return home safely within 72 hours, the NMPH said, but thousands more do not. The charity said that it helped to resolve around 70% of the cases that it worked on.

In its statement, the NMPH said: "The work of the National Missing Persons Helpline is recognised as providing a vital public service and social resource and provides substantial savings in time and money to the government."

(KMcA/SP)