Ask for Angela is the not for profit scheme that aims to ensure that anyone who is feeling vulnerable or unsafe is able to get the support they need. This could be on a night out, on a date, meeting friends and other situations. Ask for Angela is needed because:
97% of women aged 18-24 and 80% of all women said they had been sexually harassed in public spaces in the UK
(UN Women UK )
53% of women experience sexual harassment in a pub, club or bar
(YouGov)
One in five LGBT people have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the last 12 months
(Stonewall)
The scheme works by training staff in vulnerability management and what to do when someone Asks for Angela.
The trained member of staff will understand the person asking is in need of help and support and will be able to respond in an appropriate, discreet way.
They might call security, lead the person to a safe space, or help them leave the premises unnoticed.
It supports venues to keep their customers safe, which in turn improves perceptions of safety and patronage in the night time economy. A recent YouGov survey on feelings of safety in the night time economy found that 49% of people and 63% of women would be more likely to visit a venue that had measures in place to improve women’s safety.
Ask for Angela is not for profit, any money raised is reinvested into activity to improve feelings of safety and reduce vulnerability. We are funded purely by public donation and brand associations, covering running costs and helping us to develop new safety initiatives.
Hayley Crawford is District Commander for Bassetlaw (Nottinghamshire Police) and the national Patron of Ask for Angela.
Inspector Crawford created Ask for Angela whilst working as the Sexual Violence (Prevention) Lead for Lincolnshire County Council. The initiative is now nationally recognised and adopted. Inspector Crawford received a National Pubwatch Award at the House of Lords in November 2022 in recognition of her work, and has also received a number of other awards.
We are actively seeking Ambassadors for the Ask for Angela initiative. Ambassadors promote the scheme however they can, whether that be through talking about Ask for Angela in public appearances, featuring the scheme on their website, encouraging licensed premises they visit to implement the initiative or informing friends and family about it.
We have several high profile names that have agreed to be ambassadors and will add them to the site in the coming days…watch this space!
If you would like to become an Ask for Angela Ambassador, please contact info@askforangela.co.uk.
Lytchett House, 13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6FA
