Call for pubs and bars in Flintshire to adopt ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme

A leading Flintshire councillor has called for the county wide adoption of an award-winning safety code word scheme used by people if they are feeling vulnerable and unsafe in a bar or club situation. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Deputy Leader of Flintshire County Council Bernie Attridge said he will ask the Chairman of the council’s Licensing Committee to take forward a proposal encouraging all pubs and bars in the county to support the scheme. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Cllr Attridge said he has “noticed and been impressed” with the ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme which has been adopted by pubs and bars in neighbouring Wrexham. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

It’s understood several pubs in Flintshire already operate the scheme including the Broad Oak in Connah’s Quay. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Ask For Angela originated in Lincolnshire in 2016 and has since received nationwide attention. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The aim is that by using the codeword people who are feeling vulnerable on a night out or a date can approach the bar and ask for Angela. The staff are then alerted to the situation and can help. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The initiative aims to reduce sexual violence and vulnerability by providing customers with a discreet way to gain assistance from staff in order to get help when they feel unsafe due to a person’s actions, words or behaviour. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Once alerted, staff can then offer to call a taxi, contact their friends or family or ensure that the individual causing the distress leaves the venue. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The scheme has been adopted in many parts of the UK. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Hayley Child, Sexual Violence & Abuse Strategy Coordinator for Lincolnshire County Council, came up with the idea. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Hayley is delighted with the response it has received, she told the BBC: ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“We’d seen that a few individual pubs around the country had done similar messages at the bar saying that if people’s dates weren’t going well the bar staff would help and call them a cab,” she said. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“We wanted to do this in a more organised way.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

She said the popularity of dating apps like Tinder meant more people might find themselves in difficult situations, adding that “feedback suggests having the scheme in place makes people feel safer”. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The posters, which are a play on the word (guardian) Angel, are displayed in both male and female toilets. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​