Cheltenham Town Hall is to become one of the first night-time venues in the town to roll out a scheme where anyone feeling they are in potential danger or in an uncomfortable situation can discreetly ask for help.
The Cheltenham Trust is introducing the Ask for Angela scheme at the town hall where a member of the public uses a code to alert staff that they need help by asking for Angela, a fictious member of staff. The scheme is mainly aimed at women but can be used by anyone feeling vulnerable and at risk.
Staff have been undergoing training on the new scheme which will be introduced on Friday May 31 for the Forbidden Nights event which draws a mainly female audience. The trust, a charity, intends to extend the scheme to its other venues in the future.
Laurie Bell, CEO of The Cheltenham Trust, said: “Cheltenham Town Hall is already a safe and welcoming venue that hosts around 140,000 visitors each year. The trust is pleased to be one of the first to introduce Ask for Angela in Cheltenham, reinforcing the message that the town offers a safe and welcoming night-time environment for all. The safety and wellbeing, and enjoyment of our visitors while they are in the town hall, is our priority, introducing Ask for Angela enables the trust to do even more to ensure our customers and visitors have a great night out with us.
“Whilst Ask for Angela tends to be used more by females, it is there for anyone who feels concerned for their safety or potentially at risk. We are introducing the scheme at the Forbidden Nights show on May 31 when the audience will be mainly women. This gives us the opportunity to promote Ask for Angela to a large number of visitors and to raise awareness of this new scheme.”
Iwona Kossek, director at Ask for Angela, said: “Congratulations to The Cheltenham Trust on its launch of the Ask for Angela scheme. The implementation of Ask for Angela shows the commitment that The Cheltenham Trust has to ensure safety and support in their premises, and to make the community a safer and more inclusive place for everyone.”
Note for Editors:
Ask for Angela is the national scheme that helps anyone who is feeling vulnerable on a night out to get the help they need. The scheme started in 2016 and is used by bars and other night-time venues to keep people safe when they are in danger or are in an uncomfortable situation.
