Personal safety: A guide to the schemes designed to keep you safe

According to recent research, 97 per cent of women aged 18-24 and 80 per cent of all women said that they had been sexually harassed in a public space in the UK. In addition, two-thirds – or 64 per cent – of LGBTQ+ people reveal they have experienced some sort of anti-LGBT+ violence or abuse, and of those three out of 10 had experienced physical violence and two out of 10, sexual violence.

With figures so high, it comes as no surprise that charities and organisations are constantly looking for innovative ways to ensure people feel as safe as possible.

At Stonewall Security, our passion for keeping people safe remains the driving force behind our mission. And while our main services are predominantly physical security, we are always looking to proactively raise awareness of the schemes and projects that have been designed to keep people safe.

Ask for Angela

Ask for Angela is a scheme which allows people to ask a member of staff ‘for Angela’, by way of signalling that they feel unsafe or vulnerable – this could be in a pub, club, bar, or anywhere they might be uncomfortable.

Launched originally by police officer, Inspector Hayley Crawford during the rise of online dating, whereby people are effectively meeting a complete stranger. The scheme works by training staff in hospitality to understand that if somebody is ‘asking for Angela’ they need help or support. The trained staff member should then respond in not only an appropriate but a discrete way, for example, by taking the person to a safe space.

Ask for Clive

While it’s not directly attached to ‘Ask for Angela’, ‘Ask for Clive’ is also a personal safety campaign – designed to promote inclusion. The initiative asks establishments to put an ‘Ask for Clive’ sticker on their door to signal that the LGBTQ+ community is welcome there. Staff at the establishment will also be briefed on how to deal with discrimination if it takes place on-site.

Register 999

Have you ever considered the idea of being able to text 999? Believe it or not, it is possible. This means that in an emergency, you don’t just have to rely on calling 999 – you’re actually able to text 999 too.

How? If you find yourself in an emergency situation you must text the word ‘register’ to 999. Following this, you will be able to text for help and the emergency services will be able to reply to you.

What information should you include in your emergency message?

Which? Let them know which service you need eg. ambulance, police, fire rescue or coastguard
What? Briefly tell them the problem
Where? Let them know where you can – be as accurate as possible.

Be Lads

Be Lads is a safety campaign designed especially for men. It provides men with an acronym of advice, so they can play their part in helping women who are walking by themselves, to feel safer. They can do this by following the following steps:

Be visible
Ease the tension by making a phone call
Look away, don’t stare
Active bystander (find a safe way to interrupt if a violent situation starts to take place)
Distance yourself
Suggest walking your (female) friend home

Make your space more secure with Stonewall Security

If you want to enhance safety on your site, then get in touch with Stonewall Security. From hospitality to offices and schools, everyone has a right to feel safe. And, as a business, you have a responsibility to ensure all those visiting, working or learning on your premises feel safe.

At Stonewall Security, we offer a number of vital services that can help boost your business’s safety, including CCTV and uniformed security guards. Contact us today and find out how our team can support you.

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