The ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign is being rolled out in London to keep people safe in pubs and clubs

Following a successful pilot in south London last Christmas, the innovative ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign is now going to be rolled out across London, enabling anyone feeling vulnerable in a pub or club to discreetly approach staff and ask for help.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Licensing Teams will be handing out the posters to venues across the capital. These will then be placed in toilets to make clubgoers familiar with the scheme, which aims to reduce sexual violence and vulnerability. By ‘asking for Angela’, staff can be made aware of any uncomfortable situations – whether you’re on a date with someone who’s making you feel uneasy, or you’ve met someone online and it turns out that they’re not who they said they were.

Anyone who asks for help will be taken aside or to a safe location where staff can then offer to call a taxi or friend or family member of the individual. Staff can also ask the person causing the distress to leave the venue.

The initiative was first launched by Lincolnshire County Council and last year’s roll out in Merton saw 50 percent of venues in the borough sign up.

If you have experienced sexual violence and want to seek help, you can talk to Rape Crisis London on 020 7683 1210.