Pubs and clubs in Kingston give their thoughts on the programme.
It has been almost five years since the local council found that over half of women and girls in Kingston did not ask for help when they found themselves in danger.
Since then, more bars and pubs have adopted the ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme, which allows people to discreetly ask for help in venues using the code word ‘Angela’. Local participants included The Antelope, The Waggon and Horses and nightclub Pryzm.
However, the effectiveness of the ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme has come under increasing scrutiny. Following an undercover BBC investigation in October, it was found that 13 of the 25 venues across London they approached failed to respond to the code word.
Five years on from the council’s findings on women’s safety, local establishments spoke to the Kingston Courier about using the scheme.
Ask for Angela in Kingston
The Canbury Arms has opted not to use Ask for Angela.
Pub manager Rebecca Copson said she makes sure her staff are empowered to act if they see someone uncomfortable.
Copson has worked in pubs for 18 years and believes that the issue of women’s safety is neglected in the hospitality industry.
“I don’t even think it’s spoken of as an issue,” she said, “I wouldn’t even say it’s on the back-burner, it’s not highlighted.
“The responsibility of the scheme is pushed onto management onsite, and I’m not taking away from the importance of the scheme, but I have got a lot to do.”
Instead of implementing ‘Ask for Angela’ at the pub, Copson sees greater benefit from creating a community that cares about women’s safety in the workplace.
The staff at the Spring Grove in Kingston, a Young’s pub, are trained on ‘Ask for Angela’ as part of wider business’s centralised sexual harassment e-learning.
However, the Spring Grove does not advertise ‘Ask for Angela’ at the venue because it is off the high street and a more restaurant-oriented pub.
Jack Stones, general manager of the Spring Grove, started the women’s safety charter in 2016 when running a pub on Camberwell Green that was open until 3.30 in the morning.
It was a coalition of pubs in Camberwell, Loughborough Junction and Elephant and Caste who committed to protecting the interests of women at their venues.
Stones said that there are flaws in using ‘Ask for Angela’.
“The issue with hospitality is that your staff turnover is so high, and budget for staff training is so low. Even if you train your staff, three months later they won’t be trained,” he said.
Stones said that he was lucky to be managing a “sleepy pub” with a largely unchanging team who all know what to do if someone is uncomfortable, but suggested that there should be a third party checking on venues to make sure safety systems are put in place.
“Any of the big chains who say they have an ‘Ask for Angela’ policy — it’s a tick box exercise to make them look good and in practice none of them can enforce it,” he said. “In reality, the only way to enforce it is having a culture of giving a shit.”
Jessie O’Rourke, assistant manager of Whelan’s in Kingston, an Irish pub that is open until late, said no one has ever approached her using the code word.
However, she added that she makes sure to introduce herself to women in her venue.
O’Rourke has worked in pubs in Ilford, Stratford, Ealing, Croydon, Sydenham, Walthamstow and Crystal Palace. She said that Kingston has a particularly strong community of late-night pubs who are united in protecting women and vulnerable people in the area.
“The bar community in Kingston is the most communicative I’ve ever experienced, this is the best group of pubs in rallying together,” she said.
Pryzm Kingston is one of the largest late-night venues in Surrey. It has used the ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme since 2021, following reports of an increased number of sexual assaults in nightclubs.
Manager Stephan Currie said: “We acknowledged the need to step up to the mark and tackle these issues head on. Shying away from them or pretending it wasn’t happening solves nothing.”
The club provides full training to staff, often in collaboration with the council. They plan these training sessions for late August so that staff are prepared before the start of Freshers week.
Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, also said she had found the scheme to be “wanting” when she had tested it out for herself.
