‘Going missing is a sign that something is very wrong’: Lorraine Kelly backs The Independent’s SafeCall campaign
The presenter is lending her support to The Independent’s SafeCall campaign as she urges people to donate to help fund a lifeline for missing children in crisis
Presenter and longstanding champion of children’s welfare Lorraine Kelly is throwing her support behind The Independent’s campaign to raise vital funds to help missing children find safety and help.
The Scottish broadcaster has spent decades on television speaking up for those without a voice and supporting charities and organisations dedicated to children’s causes.
Joined by Sir Keir Starmer and Sir David Beckham, she is now backing this publication’s appeal to fund a new service that will reach the 70,000 children reported missing in the UK each year.
She told The Independent: “Going missing is a sign that something in a child’s life is very, very wrong, and yet we’re not getting children the help they need.
“SafeCall can reach children where they are, offering a trusted voice, confidentiality, and showing them a safer way forward.”
Donate here or text SAFE to 70577 to give £10 to Missing People – enough for one child to get help.
The presenter has been a fixture on British television for more than four decades and has hosted her weekday morning show, Lorraine, since 2010.
She began her career aged 17 as a reporter for the East Kilbride News, before becoming a presenter for Good Morning Britain in 1984, and an original host for GMTV in 1993.
Kelly has been a long-time trustee of STV Children’s Appeal and has continued to present its annual show. In 2011, she also hosted the ITV series Children’s Hospital, which looked at the daily lives of children and staff at the new Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
A large part of her advocacy work is dedicated to children’s welfare. She is a patron of Scottish children’s charity the Archie Foundation, which helps children and their families in healthcare and bereavement. She is also a patron of Rosie’s Rainbow Fund, a charity supporting seriously ill children and their families in hospitals and schools.
Kelly received a CBE in 2021 for her services to broadcasting, journalism and charity.
With nearly 600 children going missing every day in the UK, The Independent is aiming to raise £165,000 to help launch SafeCall– a free new service that will provide children in crisis with confidential support, guidance and a route to safety.
Kelly said: “Specially trained helpline staff can talk them through their options and help connect them to services that can make them safer.
“Please help The Independent and Missing People launch SafeCall as quickly as possible and help a child reach safety.”
Please donate now to The Independent and Missing People’s SafeCall campaign, which aims to raise £165,000 to create a free, nationwide service helping vulnerable children find safety and support
For advice, support and options if you or someone you love goes missing, text or call the charity Missing People on 116 000. It’s free, confidential and non-judgemental. Or visit missingpeople.org.uk/get-help