Missing People

In November 2014, we teamed up with the charity Missing People to provide additional eyes and ears in the search for vulnerable individuals up and down the country. We support the search for vulnerable, high-risk missing people by sending location-specific alerts through our network of handheld Postal Digital Assistants. To date we have issued over 200 alerts to our people. Our support funds a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year alert system specifically for children that have been abducted, or who are believed to be in immediate danger. To read more about our partnership, please click here.

Hestia and UKSaysNoMore

In September 2020, in response to a reported increase in domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic, Royal Mail, in partnership with the charity Hestia, created Online Safe Spaces (OSS). The OSS service provides support, advice and helpful contact numbers for those experiencing, or at risk of, domestic abuse. The discreet portal, which was developed in-house by our Parcelforce IT team, opens in a pop-up window which can be installed on both internal and external websites. It leaves no internet history trace and provides quick exit options for the person seeking information. To date the portal is now live on 64 UK company websites including the Post Office, Thames Water, Network Rail and British Gas. We estimate that the number of users has reached 1 million since launch.

OSS supports the UK SAYS NO MORE campaign which unites and strengthen a diverse community of members of the public and organisations nationwide to actively take a stand against domestic abuse and sexual violence.

In July 2021 we continued our support for Hestia in partnership with Uber and HSBC UK to launch ‘Fresh Start’. The initiative aims to help women and children staying at Hestia’s domestic abuse refuges in gaining financial independence and the security to flee domestic abuse safely and save lives. Hestia currently provide support in 27 refuges across 11 London boroughs.

The offer gives victims:

Free redirection: They will also be able to ensure post is redirected from their previous address to their new accommodation, free of charge and in confidence with Royal Mail 

Free rides: Access to rides with the payments covered by Uber to a Hestia refuge in London 

A new bank account: Once in safe accommodation, victims can take control of their finances and open a basic bank account through HSBC UK’s No Fixed Address service Fresh Start has been launched as a 12-month trial in London with a view to investigate whether the initiative can be rolled out nationally.

DEC 

Royal Mail has supported the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) with a dedicated PO Box for over 30 years, providing the UK public with a way to respond to national appeals for overseas disasters. The DEC is made up of 15 of the UK’s leading humanitarian aid charities and these national appeals are launched in response to the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. In the past year there have been three active appeals. In addition to the ongoing Coronavirus and Afghanistan Crisis Appeals, we launched our support for the DEC’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. As of March 2022, £374 million has been donated to the three DEC appeals with approximately 6% of UK public donations made via the Royal Mail PO Box.

The Prince’s Trust

In 2021-22 we were pleased to support The Prince’s Trust Team programme, a full-time 12-week initiative offering work experience, qualifications, practical skills, community projects and a residential week to 16-25 year olds. The programme aims to increase confidence, motivation and skills and as a result enables young people to move into employment, education or training. The Team programme attracts some of the hardest to reach young people across the UK, with participants aged 16-25. Last year, 51% of young people participating in Team had a mental health need and 17% were experiencing homelessness. This year with our support, 81 young people have completed the Team programme, including young people such as Team 8 in Hemel Hempstead.