Sir Stephen Fry has thrown his support behind The Independent’s SafeCall campaign, run in partnership with the charity Missing People, to raise funds for a new service aimed at protecting missing children and young people. The campaign seeks to raise £165,000 to launch SafeCall, a free, confidential service that will offer guidance and a route to safety for children in crisis.
The actor and broadcaster spoke of the deep personal significance of the cause, recalling his own disappearance for three days in 1995 during a theatre run in London. In a documentary, he described the overwhelming pressure that led him to drive to a Channel port, saying: “I just couldn’t take being in the play, or being in London… When you feel you can’t go on, it’s not just a phrase, it’s a reality.”
With a child reported missing every two and a half minutes in the UK, the campaign aims to create a service designed by young people themselves. “Together, we’ll be raising vital funds to build and launch a cutting-edge service for our times, and it’s called SafeCall,” Fry said. “Most importantly, SafeCall will be designed by young people, so that it’s truly informed by their needs.”
Fry, who became president of the mental health charity Mind in 2011, has long advocated for better mental health support for young people. He described the initiative as a chance to “create a legacy – help available whenever young people need it, and no matter what.” The Independent and Missing People are now urging the public to donate or text SAFE to 70577 to give £10, enough for one child to access help.
