About Kate McCann's Appointment on Missing People Website

Kate's Mission for Missing People

"When your child goes missing you want the whole world to stop and join the search. More than 250,000 people are reported missing each year in the UK - worryingly they could fill the Olympic Stadium three times over.



"Missing People assists the search by providing publicity appeals that generate potentially vital sightings and lines of enquiry. The charity's staff and volunteers are an incredibly committed and conscientious team doing an extremely valuable job. The search for Madeleine continues and I am delighted to lend my support as an Ambassador to the charity."
Kate McCann

Everyone at Missing People welcomes Kate McCann as a new Ambassador. In her new role, Kate will be working with the charity, other Ambassadors
and Family Representatives to:

- Raise awareness and understanding of the 'missing' issue
- Help the charity to safely reconnect more people by promoting 116 000 - the new number for 'missing'
- Help to raise vital funds so that the search for every missing person can continue

Our thanks go to Kate for so generously giving the charity her time and energy.

Click here to read about Kate's first mission (inserted below in blue-gillyspot) - launching a new way to find missing people with the Outdoor Media Centre.

If your child went missing, wouldn't you want the whole world to stop and look for them?
* £3 means we can launch a poster appeal
* £10 enables a volunteer to follow up a sighting
* £25 pays for us to start a nationwide publicity campaign

These practical solutions give hope to thousands of families and play a vital role in safely reconnecting more missing people.

Give £3 by texting SEARCH to 70990. Give £10, £25, or another amount, by calling Freephone 0800 MISSING (647 7464).
Donations will cost you £3 plus your usual network rate. The charity Missing People will receive at least £2.93 of this amount.
This will help to provide a lifeline when someone disappears including case publicity. We may contact you in the future to update you on our work."

https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/missing-people/everyday-ways/the-big-tweet-2012

From link

"
From Wednesday 11th July, Kate McCann – in her first official role as Ambassador of the charity Missing People – will launch the biggest digital billboard campaign in British history. Organised by the Outdoor Media Centre and produced by Grand Visual, this unprecedented campaign will see a network of billboards publicise people missing across the UK.
The value of the advertising space donated by the outdoor advertising industry is estimated at over £1million, and the campaign is estimated to reach over 10 million adults during the summer months when – thanks to the Olympics – Britain will be at its busiest. New ‘OpenLoop’ technology created by Grand Visual will allow staff and volunteers at the charity Missing People to update the appeals instantly to billboards, with details of the latest high risk individuals.

The campaign will see appeals on donated digital billboards in major cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, running across rail and underground networks, on high streets and in shopping centres.

The advertisements will include details of individual missing people, creating awareness of the new number to call for sighting – 116 000 – and harnessing the public’s help to join the search.
Kate McCann, a new Ambassador for Missing People, said:
“When your child goes missing you want the whole world to stop and join the search. Missing People, the Outdoor Media Centre and its members are providing an unprecedented opportunity to help safely reconnect missing children.
“More than 250,000 people are reported missing each year in the UK – worryingly they could fill the Olympic Stadium three times over. Thankfully, campaigns like this can play a vital part in the search. In May, two youngsters featured in the charity’s ‘Big Tweet for Missing Children’ were found safely.
“The search for Madeleine continues and I am delighted to lend my support as an Ambassador to this practical solution that gives hope to families like mine.”

Bill Wilson, Operations Director at the Outdoor Media Centre said:
“Outdoor advertising is able to reach a mass audience again and again, so it’s really the perfect medium to help the authorities find some of the missing people, whose stories are so important but too often slip under the radar.
“The Outdoor Media Centre and our members feel strongly that we can make a difference to the hundreds of thousands of families who are living each day not knowing when they’ll see their loved ones again.”
Neil Morris, Founder and Managing Director of Grand Visual, the production and creative technology company supporting the campaign commented:
“The Digital Out of Home market is now at a stage where it can really deliver on its key strengths - its ability to react in real-time with relevant copy to a broadcast audience.
“It is the perfect platform for the Missing People’s Initiative – allowing the charity to manage and deliver this impactful campaign from their desktop computer and publish it instantly to a nationwide audience.”

https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/missing-people/latest-news/kate-mccann-to-launch-nationwide-campaign-to-find-missing-people

By the way no mention of Clarence on the site.

'Give £3 by texting SEARCH to 70990. Give £10, £25, or another amount, by calling Freephone 0800 MISSING (647 7464).
Donations will cost you £3 plus your usual network rate. The charity Missing People will receive at least £2.93 of this amount.
This will help to provide a lifeline when someone disappears including case publicity. We may contact you in the future to update you on our work."
unquote. (from the above post)

Translated: 'We will contact you to ask for more money'
(that's why they ask for small amounts by telephone - they then have your number)

This is the information from Company House:
Company Information

Registration Date: 26/04/1993
Registration Number: 02814202
Type: Private Limited company without share capital

Accounts filed on: 13/09/2011
For period to: 31/03/2011
Category: Full

"When your child goes missing you want the whole world to stop and join the search." This is an oblique reference to how you felt so alone in Portugal, no-one searching for your daughter but you and yours. One of your most appalling lies.
Who would these people have been joining, Mrs Mc? The Portuguese police, the staff and OC holidaymakers along with PdL ex-pats.
They would not have been joining you and Mr Mc, you told Jane Hill that you did not search along with these others desperately worried about your little girl, but you were working really hard.
Will you tell us what you were working hard at? You did not tell us in your book.

This is some statement, the world should stop and join the search. Everything should be put on hold while time and energy is devoted solely to finsing a vanished child. Your time and your husband's was devoted to a lot of things related to a missing child, setting up a fund, media interviews and other peripheral issues, the central issue where your focus should have been was delegated to the periphery. Exactly where does your sense of entitlement come from?
We really are seeing a world where the lunatics are taking over the asylum. Who said "Stop the world, I want to get off." ?

Russiandoll this entitlement went much further. KM complained that whilst in the police station she was not offered anything to eat and drink, the officers were dressed casually and smoked. Whilst being questioned she held that wonderful mantra 'f**king t***ers'. Whilst being whisked back to the police station she complained how fast they were driving.

Don't I know it aquila........it was the book of the truth which was the catalyst for me reading more of the police files then joining this forum to put in my two pence worth !

russiandoll wrote: Don't I know it aquila........it was the book of the truth which was the catalyst for me reading more of the police files then joining this forum to put in my two pence worth !

Perhaps Kate can influence European policing in the future. Treat people nicely, offer tea and coffee, drive at reasonable speeds, dress smartly and don't smoke. The rest of the world searching for a missing child might also like to take a few tips there. Oh, and don't talk in a plummy voice either.

Does this 'charity' (who will NEVER get another penny from me) have a facebook page? I put it as my status and had a 'disgrace' comment in minutes. Or an e-mail address? I'm so fired-up that I FEEL on fire, must 'Get Proactive' again...

Here's a reminder of the Missing Persons Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/missingpeople.uk/

There were hundreds of comments yesterday from sceptics but no surprise they have all been whooshed now.

the video of Kate's this morning interview is on a locked thread, here is the transript, please move to where thought appropriate or delete if already posted.

Holly Willoughby Over the five years since her daughter, Madeleine, disappeared whilst on a family holiday in Portugal, Kate McCann has had first hand experience of dealing with the pain and heartbreak of having a loved one go missing.

Phillip Schofield Well, whilst the search for her daughter continues, Kate is about to help launch a brand new initiative that will hopefully help find some of the thousands of people that go missing in the UK each year. And Kate is here now to tell us all about it. And we were just saying then you don’t do many of these things on your own do you?

Kate McCann I don’t. Usually I have Gerry next to me. You’re right.

PS Well this is a big, a very big launch. And the launch is tomorrow. The biggest billboard campaign in British history. So how is it going to work? What is it?

KM Well basically its a twelve-week nationwide campaign. And the Outdoor Media Centre which is kind of the trade body for all the outdoor media owners, so all the people that own billboard space in your cities, towns, on your public transport. They’ve teamed up with the charity Missing People basically to try and find missing children and adults. So starting tomorrow, across these screens there’ll be featured one child and one adult per week. So there’ll be a photograph, the location, time of when they were last seen and a number 116000 to call. And the idea is we know that outdoor advertising works and we know that publicity is crucial to help find missing children. And it works. And thats why its….

HW But not only that, its a speed thing as well and because these are screens it can be updated quickly can’t it?

KM Absolutely, the response time to change an appeal if needed; if more information comes in and they need to change it; if a child is found and they need to put another appeal up quickly, they can do that pretty much instantly.

PS Well, there are 250.000 people who go missing each year in the UK. Thankfully, the majority are found. But the heartache for the families whose missing member of the family hasn’t been found is extensive and ongoing isn’t it? Obviously its something that you know.

KM Yeah, it is. Its erm, I mean not only do you go through the pain and anxiety and fear you have that relentlessness and uncertainty of not knowing and that doesn’t go away.

PS And so, and so this is your first official role as Ambassador for Missing People?

KM It is, yeah.

PS Yeah, and so there is a great feeling that this open loop technology, this with the ability to update screens very quickly erm. will help certainly erm, when it comes to resolving a case. Because there is always good news. The girl who was due to feature prominently in the campaign has been found which is fabulous.

KM Yeah its brilliant, really good.

PS But a new child obviously is very quickly going to become the focus of that cam…, campaign. Its not just children either though is it?

KM No its not. Its vulnerable adults who go missing as well. I think primarily erm, or largely it is going to be children that will be featured but there will be adults too.

HW So, I guess the idea is that if you see one of these billboards in your town centre, just stop and look.

KM Absolutely.

HW Because you never know, you might hold the key or some bit of information to help find that person.

KM No, thats right and I think everyone can play a part and its estimated that ten million people will actually see these boards. You know, obviously we’ve got the summer coming up, we’ve got the Olympics. And I guess, yeah, please stop, take a look. You know, its a cliche but one person can make a difference.

HW I saw all the tweets on National Missing Persons Day and the charity were tweeting every thirty minutes a picture of somebody that had gone missing and it was going on throughout the day. And I thought it was brilliant but two people were found that day.

KM Thats right. Two teenagers were found, yeah.

HW So it just goes to show so actually this works.

KM It does work. And I mean you can speak to the experts in the States and they can give you example after example. It really does work and as I say everybody, everybody can help.

PS Is there chance that this would, that this campaign if it were successful here which I’m sure it would be, will be extended throughout the rest of Europe?

KM Well certainly its an initial twelve week campaign but I think it probably will continue. It may become more regionally based. I’m not sure whether it will extend into Europe. It would be fantastic if it could or if there’s any other companies that can come forward because basically the Outdoor Media Centre have…, you know, they’re putting one million pounds towards this campaign. And we do need people like that; companies, organisations in order to make initiatives like this happen.

PS You also, I mean, have acted on many fronts because you’ve launched the European Hotline as well for missing people. You launched that in May. How’s that gone?

KM Very good from what I’ve heard so far. There’s been a lot of new people coming to the number, whether it be by phone or email or to the website which is encouraging. They’ve had a lot of calls. On average probably about 130 calls per day (HW Wow.) each day, just to that number alone. Obviously the other numbers are active at the moment erm, but it just shows really how a campaign can, you know (HW Really help.) by penetration.

HW And I guess having that sort of network of countries all working together, again that quickness and that response is what is so important in that situation.

KM It does. I mean its a simple number, one number to remember erm, and wherever you are in Europe in those sixteen countries that so far have the number, ring that number and you will end up, you know if its not the right place you’ll be put through straight away to the right place.

PS We were saying about the effects of a missing person on a family, this sort of far-reaching explosion that goes out throughout the whole family, its ripple effect. I was reading in the paper this morning erm, that you were saying that your own two children, Sean and Amelie, that…, that they, they still take an interest in the fact that other people take an interest in what you’ve gone through.

KM Yeah, as a family member who has a loved one missing, I mean its so painful. And I think you need to know…, you feel helpless but you need to know that there’s other people helping too. I mean it just gives you great hope and strength and there’s so many families out there in similar positions. And… You know this campaign itself will help all these families.

PS And what about, what about you? Because DCI Andy Redwood who’s leading the review of the evidence in your case, said his team were developing genuinely new information. Erm, what are you aware of, where is the case now?

KM Whilst I don’t know all the information, I know new information has come in that has to be followed up and obviously there’s a lot of information thats come from the files from the review as well. We’re at the stage really that we’re hoping for the case to be re-opened. So there isn’t really any change from where we stand since May.

PS The Portuguese officials because in April the Portuguese Attorney General appeared to rule out the re-opening of the case. Is it still a case of persuading them or getting them further on board?

KM Well I hope so. I mean I think we felt we needed to allow more time for people to, you know, for the authorities to look at the evidence really. (PS Yeah) before they made a decision.

PS Its one of those things, you wonder when you read the newspapers and you think I wonder how helpful this is to the family because at the centre of every big newspaper report there is a family thats going to be reading it and maybe not wanting to see it and there was the evidence from Stephen Birch who spent £40,000 on a scanner, took scans of the Praia da Luz area and said that he found a void underneath there. Are you aware of all of that?

KM Yeah, I mean that, you know the MET let us know about it in advance of it hitting the newspaper. I guess, you know, there was no credibility to it. I mean who is this person at the end of the day? You know, so…

HW You have your own campaign this summer don’t you, and this is the luggage tags?

KM Well, I mean, we’re just carrying on basically what we’ve (HW Continuing, yeah.) what we’ve done the last few years really. When people go on holiday in the summer, we’re saying please, you know, take some posters, take some luggage tags. As you know, as you know we had a new age progression produced and launched in April.

PS Yes, this is it here.

KM You know and its the same basis really for this campaign. Its so important to get an image out there. You know, as I say there will be ten million people viewing the images that go up on these billboards. Its the same with Madeleine, the more people that you reach, you know, the greater the chance you have of finding that child.

PS Well as we say, tomorrow is the big launch. Its the, as we said at the very beginning, the biggest billboard campaign in British history and er, as Kate was saying just take a couple of minutes to look up and see whether or not you recognise or you can help any of the people that will appear on these billboards. And thank you very much indeed for…

KM And thank you for the opportunity.

PS Yeah, not at all. If you would like any help or any information on anything we have just discussed, then you can find details and helplines and all the numbers that we were talking about as well on our website itv.com/thismorning.

HW We’ll be back after the break.

Thank you russiandoll for the transcript have also put your post with HdH's video