220 Missing People Found
This week, a major milestone was reached by the UK outdoor advertising industry who have helped find 220 vulnerable missing people across the UK.
Launched in August 2012 with the help of Kate McCann, mother of missing Madeleine, the UK wide partnership is coordinated by the Outdoor Media Centre and the charity Missing People.
This ground-breaking partnership enables the charity to publicise urgent missing person appeals instantly on digital billboards across the UK. This is completely free of charge as a result of unused inventory donated by various media owners. The digital platform allows for each appeal to be instantly broadcast and specifically targeted to the area where a person has gone missing.
Kate McCann, mother of Madeleine, says: “When your child is missing you want the whole world to stop and join the search. Thanks to the Outdoor Media Centre and its members, so many families missing a loved one have benefited from this unique opportunity to appeal for them. This milestone is a special moment and one the industry should feel very proud of.”
The partnership will now evolve to incorporate Child Rescue Alerts, which will only be broadcast when a child is taken and their life is believed to be in danger. These urgent alerts, requested by local police forces, will be activated via a partnership between Missing People, the National Crime Agency and Groupcall (founded by Sir Bob Geldof), and will be transmitted on digital billboards nationwide.
Bill Wilson, Operations Director at the Outdoor Media Centre says: “We are very happy to have been able to support such a worthwhile initiative, which continues to have such a great impact on so many lives. As an industry, we look forward to reaching countless more milestones in the future.”
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