‘Ask for Angela’ sign you see in most pubs has extremely touching meaning behind its name
If you have ever looked at the 'Ask for Angela' sign and wondered who Angela is, there is a moving story behind the name.
The safety campaign was created in 2016, providing a less obvious way to ask for help if you found yourself in an uncomfortable situation on a night out.
You may have seen the signs plastered around pubs and bars in your local area, but have you ever wondered where the inspiration came from, and who Angela may be?
Inspector Hayley Crawford of Lincolnshire County Council was the woman to create the scheme, and did so with an aim to decrease sexual violence and abuse in the night-time economy.
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Talking to Northamptonshire police, she said: "I founded the scheme while working closely with the police and the night-time economy.
"I was hearing of people meeting people from dating apps and having bad experiences.
"It started as part of a much larger project to protect people from sexual violence and abuse."
She went on to explain who Angela really was: "I named 'Angela' after Angela Crompton who was abused and killed by her husband in 2012.
"Angela was a good friend of my best friend and her murder devastated those who knew her.
"By using the name of ‘Angela’ for this campaign it felt like a fitting dedication to her as now she was helping to save other victims of abuse."
The scheme has been rolled out in pretty much every town and city in the UK, but have you ever wondered what actually happens if you were to ever ask?
Tyla journalist Rhiannon Ingle put the question to the test to see what would really happen if she 'asked for Angela'.
And, well, the results were quite shocking.
While one Manchester bartender responded 'I don't know who that is', and further questioned, 'do you have the right bar?', two more were also completely unaware of the phrase.
However, all hope was not lost.
A different bartender instantly asked if everything was alright, before she revealed she was conducting an investigation.
A Wetherspoon pub employee, who had only worked there for three months, also knew the code phrase straight away, and took her into another room away from the bar.
The manager shared that the staff have 'refresher courses every three months' covering 'what steps to take to ensure it’s carried out correctly'.
And this wasn't the only bar that ushered her into another room without a second thought.
So it seems as though while the scheme has definitely helped a lot of people since it was launched, there is no doubt that the system is flawed.
Find out more about Ask for Angela here.
Mia Williams