POKERSTARS & MISSING PEOPLE PARTNER IN #TOGETHERFORMISSING CAMPAIGN

Every ninety seconds, someone goes missing in the UK. To raise awareness of the support available and to help reunite families with their loved ones, the charity Missing People has teamed up with PokerStars UK.

I was delighted and humbled to be part of this event. It's crazy when you read the research data about missing people in the UK. It almost feels arcane that in a world with uber-connectivity and advanced social mobility that people can still fall off the grid. Statistics like these are scary - 170,000 people go missing every year in the UK. Out of that number, 63% are male and those who are at the highest risk of going missing are aged between 18 and 39.

Flutter Entertainment plc has teamed up with Missing People to help support their important work with missing adults and their families. The partnership involves utilising the collective reach of the Group’s UK brands, including Paddy Power, Betfair, Sky Bet and PokerStars UK to raise awareness and to boost the charity’s campaigns.

Jo Youle, CEO at Missing People, said: “Missing People is pleased to have the opportunity to work with Flutter to help reach an adult audience at high risk of going missing – men aged 18-39. Our support exists for any missing person, every day of the year. Through this partnership we will also be able to highlight adults who are missing. We know opportunities like this to get the message out means so much for families of missing people that the charity supports.”

Tuula and I were invited down to London’s Hippodrome Casino, which was also running the PokerStars’ new mega series. Tuula informed me that we wouldn't be able to make the event as we had other commitments that day. (An event for Penhaligons). But I insisted and we tried to squeeze in both events…I mean there is no way I was going to miss a poker event that is also helping and raising money fo charity. I got to the final table and down to the last five. The clock was running and I was joint chip leader. Only the players were dawdling painfully over their cards. They all must have convened beforehand knowing I had a hard out. Long pauses, stretched out banter. They were like a Simeone team running down the clock on the old away goals rule. Eventually Tuula timed me out. "We need to go now". 

I went all in with an Ace/Five. Not bad, but I knew I'd need to get lucky as heck on the flop to see anything from that. Sure enough it fell flat, and I was done. I turned to the new chip leader and congratulated him through clenched teeth. Our hands shook and he knew instantly, he got lucky. "Next time," I said, tightening my clasp around his wrist. "Next time I'll beat you again, and you won't have any excuses." His cruel mouth sneered and his nostrils flared. 5 burly henchmen encircled me. "Leave now Mr Thompson," ordered one with a deep but resinous thrombotic tone. "Leave now and no one will get hurt." 

OK so I'm getting carried away with a flight of fantasy. Casinos and poker does that too me. All the above is true apart from the Henchmen bit. So I couldn't stay as long as I wanted, but long enough to watch a campaign video  and to hear from the parents of Anthony Stammers, missing since 2012. PokerStars UK has teamed up with Missing People to raise awareness of the charity’s incredible work and the existing missing people in the UK. Missing People is the only charity in the UK dedicated to bringing the 170,000 children and adults that go missing every year back together with their families.

Sue Hammett, Group Head of CSR at the Flutter said, “It was a real delight to gather at the Hippodrome with the incredible attendees from Missing People, who work endlessly to help reunite loved ones. We were honoured to have the Stammers family with us who were brave enough to share their story. This had an impact on everyone in the room and highlighted even further the importance of supporting Missing People. This is another important step in our relationship with Missing People and we hope that our support will continue to help reunite families across the UK!”

The work of Missing People saw more than 700 adults reported missing in 2020 found safe and well. The #TogetherforMissing partnership is seeded by a £150,000 donation from Flutter to support Missing People over the year.

 To support the work of the charity, PokerStars and Missing People have developed the film [link] showcasing their efforts to find and reunite loved ones with their families. PokerStars UK have also launched a new deck of cards which are ‘missing’ their Kings, Queens and Jacks, and display the Missing People helpline number for anyone who needs support.