The Mirror’s Missed campaign was launched on Mother’s Day, specifically on March 30, calling for improved support and care for the 170,000 individuals who go missing annually in the UK, a significant portion of whom are children amounting to 75,000. Working in collaboration with the national charity Missing People, the campaign aims to raise awareness and reunite at least one missing person with their family or ensure their safety by 2025 through sharing poignant stories.
In a recent success story, 17-year-old Deante James, who had gone missing from his London home, was located safe a few weeks after The Mirror covered his disappearance. His mother, Vandana, expressed immense gratitude towards The Mirror, stating that she was overwhelmed with joy upon receiving the news of his safe return.
The campaign, which has highlighted numerous missing person cases since its inception, featured touching stories from four mothers on Mother’s Day – Julie Davis, Christine Durand, Nerissa Tivy, and Sharon Lee – who shared their experiences in the hopes of finding their missing children. On Father’s Day, grieving children, including Dottie, April, Chanel, Dougie, and Tessa, expressed their desire to embrace their absent fathers, endorsing The Mirror’s Missed campaign and urging their fathers to come back home.
The Mirror has introduced an interactive map enabling individuals to confidentially report sightings of missing persons and easily share the information on social media. By zooming into specific areas, users can view the number of missing individuals in that location, along with photos, names, ages, and the duration of their absence.
The Missed campaign has been shortlisted for the 2025 Making a Difference Award by the News Media Association during Journalism Matters Week. With someone disappearing every 90 seconds in the UK, the campaign emphasizes the necessity for a new strategy for missing children and adults to ensure active involvement from the police, healthcare providers, and social services. The campaign also seeks investment in prevention measures for those at high risk of going missing and support for every missing individual upon their return.
Readers are encouraged to participate by voting for the Missed campaign before the deadline on Thursday, November 6. To cast your vote, visit the provided link and follow the instructions to support The Mirror’s efforts in making a difference.