Thanks to Independent readers, young people will have a safe haven to call for help

Every two-and-a-half minutes, a child is reported missing in Britain. The circumstances are varied but in every case, there is the potential for danger and harm.

There have been many high-profile cases that have caught the public imagination, and this can give the impression that the phenomenon is rare. However, it is not. The reality is that around 70,000 children and young people disappear each year. Most do return in due course, but too many do not, and for their families, guardians and friends, the agony of not knowing whether they are even alive is unbearable.

Approaching half a million people are thus affected. Anything that can alleviate such trauma, for the children and their loved ones alike, can only be a good thing; and for some it can be a lifesaver, as the stories The Independent has been pleased to report demonstrate.

It is for that reason that The Independent is also delighted to announce that the target for this year’s Christmas appeal on behalf of the charity Missing People has been reached. Thanks to the generosity of readers and the support of prominent figures, some £165,000 has been raised to launch SafeCall. This is a new free service working across platforms which will give children and young people confidential help and advice, and offer the opportunity, should they wish, to communicate with their parents and others.

Missing People is an ambitious and innovative group of individuals who do invaluable work to fill in some of the gaps left by the authorities. It is much easier for some children to deal with trained volunteers at a charity rather than the authorities if, for example, they feel that they are in trouble. Missing People gives confidential support to young people who feel scared, isolated, or at risk. Remarkably, Missing People reaches about one in four of the children reported missing each year – and SafeCall will help reach even more

Kate McCann, mother of Madeleine, made an especially powerful contribution to the campaign, writing this week about how, for families of missing children, the weight of simply not knowing “is made heavier by uncertainty, silence, and the constant question of whether your child is safe”.

The appeal is also especially grateful for the support given by Dame Esther Rantzen. She is a pioneer in this field, having set up the Childline counselling service almost 40 years ago, and is well-known as a champion of the rights of the child. To her, the value of this new safeguarding is clear: “So many young people who suffer exploitation don’t feel they can ask for help and be listened to, at a time when they are scared, alone and vulnerable. This new service means that at last there is a way to enable them to seek help with confidence and hope. Going missing is a crisis – a crucial moment to intervene and help, on young people’s terms.”

The SafeCall project has attracted very broad backing indeed, from Sir Keir Starmer, to philanthropists such as Cyrus Vandrevala, to Sir Stephen Fry, Ian Rankin, Sir David Beckham and many others. To all of them, and to all readers, our thanks and a happy Christmas.

Please donate now to The Independent and Missing People’s SafeCall campaign, which has raised £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