With 170,000 people being reported missing every year in the UK, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has partnered with the Missing People charity to provide support and help to find some of them.
Until the end of January, anyone who logs into Wi-Fi on a Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern, or Gatwick Express train will be presented with a photo of a missing person, with a different person being shown each week.
Over five million passengers log into the on-board Wi-Fi every week, and the charity hopes that this exposure will help its mission to give the missing people a Safe Way Home.
In the UK, one person it is thought that one person goes missing every 90 seconds, which means that in a single rush hour or daily commute up to 40 people could have gone missing. To highlight that figure, at London Blackfriars station 40 sets of disappearing footprints will be on display from today where every day they will be seen by over 100,000 people.
The partnership between Govia Thameslink Railway and Missing People comes after the company awarded the charity £25,000 from its community fund that supports local causes across its network. The £25,000 will help to increase the public's awareness of Missing People and its helplines, through posters and station announcements at East Croydon, which is Govia Thameslink Railway's busiest station, as well as digital posters at selected sites across its entire network.
Missing People's Safe Way Home campaign provides help to anyone whose loved one has gone missing, and provides details about how to anonymously report information about someone who is missing. If anyone is affected by someone who has gone missing or is thinking of going missing, they can contact Missing People on 116 000.
GTR's Safeguarding and Wellbeing Manager, Laura Campbell, said that working closely with a charity like Missing People is key for GTR in supporting its communities after seeing a 20% month-on-month increase in cases of vulnerable people at stations.
“Over the past year, we've seen a concerning increase in reports about vulnerable people on our network. We know that winter can be a tough time for many, so it's really important we're looking out for those most at risk. Our staff are trained in how to look out for and look after those who may be vulnerable, and we want our passengers to be aware too. We hope that together with our passengers, we can positively contribute to the vital work of Missing People and help reunite families with loved ones this winter.”
Paul Joseph, Head of Helpline at Missing People, said that as winter approaches, concerns for the welfare of missing people and their loved ones increases, with rail networks serving as one of the most common forms of transport where people go missing.
As the clocks go back and the days become darker, there's even more concern for people who are missing or at risk of going missing. Our aim with GTR is to provide as much awareness and support to these people as possible in the lead up to winter across one of the key modes of transport that people use to go missing. Launching our partnership with GTR at this time of year will help to provide valuable resources that could make a significant impact to the lives of those affected by a missing person.
Working with the loved ones of people who are missing is key to the support Missing People provides. Suzi, whose brother Shaune will appear on GTR's Wi-Fi login page as part of the campaign, said that she's grateful for anything that could help to find her brother.
“It's hard to comprehend the feelings you experience when someone you love goes missing. My brother went missing six years ago after a medical appointment in Eltham. That's six years of not knowing where he is or if he's okay. When he went missing, he was a brother to four, a father to five and a grandfather to one. I am so grateful for the support that Missing People and GTR are providing to help find my brother. I just want to know that he's okay.”
