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It’s a nationwide initiative aimed at helping people in licensed premises feel safer – but Nottingham-based solicitor Elizabeth Varley of firm Poppleston Allen wants to help Licensed Premises understand how to deal with vulnerable customers

Back in November 2024, the BBC secretly recorded 25 pubs, bars and clubs in London who operated the Ask for Angela scheme. Of these 25 venues, 13 did not pick up on the ‘Angela’ code word.

The following month, in December 2024, the Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, commented that she found the scheme ‘wanting’ after she routinely ‘asked for Angela’ undercover at venues across the UK.

As conversations on the prevalence of violence against women and girls grow – and how to work together to prevent it – it is important that operators choosing to implement the Ask for Angela initiative do so correctly to safeguard all who enter their premises.

The answer to this, of course, is training, which is why Elizabeth and Poppleston Allen are partnering with the hospitality industry to offer this free training.

Not only is it important to Elizabeth in her job, it is important to her as a young woman who wants to feel safe and supported when in the night time economy.

Below are a few tips to making sure the safety of all customers is cemented in your staff’s mind. At the bottom of this article, you’ll find everything you and your staff need to attend the free workshop.

Why is Ask for Angela needed?

Ask for Angela reports that:

• 7 in 10 women experience sexual harassment in the UK (UN Women UK).
• 75% of victims of harassment have experienced this behaviour in person (Office for National Statistics).
• There were 140,561 recorded hate crimes in England and Wales in the year ending March 2024 (GOV.UK).

Sadly, not everyone entering licensed venues has good intentions. The Ask for Angela initiative can be used by all, not just women, so it is important that staff are trained to look out for anyone who may be in need.

Implementing Ask for Angela in your premises

The scheme works by training staff in managing vulnerability on your premises, and what to do when someone asks for ‘Angela’. You may find that it is a condition on your premises licence to partake in the Ask for Angela, or similar, initiative.

Staff members should be trained to understand that the ‘Angela’ code word means that an individual needs help. Not all individuals in need may be able to get to the bar, so staff should be trained to look for other indicative behaviours such as body language, or where one party can be seen to be exerting control over another.

Staff should be trained to respond in a discreet way whether that be to call the individual a taxi or help them find their way back to their friends.

Training here is key so review your records to make sure staff have received training on dealing with vulnerability on your premises, if it has been a while since training has been delivered consider delivering refresher training. Your internal policies and procedures or premises licence conditions may give you a steer on how often refresher training should take place. Make sure any training is recorded in your staff training logs. Even if your premises licence conditions don’t require you to complete staff training logs, we advise this as a matter of good practice.

Help and Support

For any new venues, or existing premises who would like to implement the scheme on their premises the Ask for Angela website offers a variety of free, and paid for resources.

More information can be found here: Home – Ask For Angela.

Tickets to the free training and event can be procured here: Vulnerability in Licensed Premises and Ask for Angela Workshop Tickets, Tue 12 Aug 2025 at 13:00 | Eventbrite

Date & time: Tue, 12 Aug 2025 13:00 – 15:00

Location: Revolución de Cuba, Nottingham