Last week, we were contacted by the new Cub Scout leader from the pack Andrew went to; she had cleared out and found some work Andrew did as a Beaver aged 7.  She was kind enough to get in touch and return this to us, another precious memory of our missing son.  The picture below shows Andrew on his first day as a Beaver - he went on through Cubs and into Scouts in due course.  His work prompted many memories for us; he talks about feeling nervous speaking in church and the help he gave me in the grounds.  We spent many hours together in the church grounds, I still care for the grounds and have often thought how I miss both the help and the company.  Andrew was always a pleasure to be with, whatever age he was.

I spent a night or two rather too wide awake and wondered, if he is alive now, does he ever think about these everyday things?  Might he, for example, remember our holidays?  Would he recall the temples and tombs in Egypt?  Or riding camels in the Sahara in Tunisia?  Or any of the myriad museums, galleries, castles, cathedrals, theme parks, walks and other activities he experienced as a child?

It prompts me yet again to puzzle over why on earth he left for London one Friday aged 14 and why he seems never to have been seen again since.  And, if he is alive, why on earth would he make no contact?   None of it makes any sense, he had a happy and secure life, rather liking his home comforts it seemed to us.  His writing, even at age 7 shows the sort of practical care and thought for others we encouraged was a part of his thinking, so why would he leave us in this terrible limbo?  It has never made any sense to any of us.

This is one of the toughest things having a missing loved one, does this inevitably lead one to the conclusion that he is dead, his body undiscovered or hidden?  What was it that made him disappear and why could he not talk to any of us about it? 

I am actually so overwhelmed by the support that I hardly know where to begin!

At the time of writing some £1,650 has been raised for Missing People, an amount I never anticipated and one which we as a family have found personally supportive in addition to the knowledge that many missing kids will be helped as a result.

It has been worth the bizarre hair cut and the anxiety that preceded it.  Over the past 12 months Missing People have supported our family in particular with various publicity events searching for Andrew and also through newly introduced family support days, a new online forum for families with missing loved ones and the provision of a new telephone counselling service for family members.  More importantly to us, we hope that many other kids thinking of going missing or in trouble because they have gone missing will be helped through Missing People's services.

It never occurred to us to discuss the topic of going missing with our children and to anyone reading this with children, please do so and ensure that they know the free number 116000 or have it stored in their phone.  Like any of the risks our kids can face it will probably never be needed, we certainly hope it is not, but it could help avoid the absolute nightmare we have been through as a family if it is known as widely as possible.

Thank you once again for your generous support, Kevin