Child Rescue Alert

The Child Rescue Alert campaign provides an mobile alert system that could save a child’s life

At SchoolsBuddy, we take child safety very seriously, and so the Child Rescue Alert scheme is one that we’re in full agreement with. Child Rescue Alert is the NCA’s CEOP (formerly  Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) command, and is run in partnership with the charity ‘Missing People‘. They then work with Groupcall, a communication/data solution for the education sector in order to issue Child Rescue Alerts to subscribers. This means that when a child goes missing in the UK, an alert sent through Child Rescue Alerts will increase the chances of that child being returned safely.

Child Rescue Alerts have been issued three times in the UK and over 315,000 people are currently registered to receive Child Rescue Alerts, which are issued on request of the police. The actor and writer Stephen Fry is the animated face of the Child Rescue Alerts, reminding members of the public that they don’t need to be a superhero to save a life – just eyes and ears on the ground may save a life. Of the service, Fry said ““I am delighted to be the animated face of this campaign. I believe that Child Rescue Alert should be a national institution – something for everyone to find out about and sign up to. It reminds me of a fire extinguisher – everyone should have one ready to use at a moment’s notice but we all hope that we will never need it.”

This service can be instrumental in getting the word out there if a child goes missing and this importance placed on child safety strikes a chord with us at SchoolsBuddy. To register to Child Rescue Alerts, text HERO and your postcode to 85080. Registration costs a standard network text message rate. Once registered, it is then free to receive Child Rescue Alerts.