Do you feel threatened? Ask for Angela!

A programme to ensure safety in catering establishments, called ‘Ask for Angela’, has been launched in Luxembourg. The scheme enables customers in bars, restaurants and cafés who find themselves in a potentially dangerous or uncomfortable situation to discreetly ask for help. To do so, they simply need to ask a member of staff whether Angela is on duty today. According to the project’s initiator in Luxembourg, Terri Allington, this code serves as a direct signal to staff who have undergone special training. Without drawing undue attention, they escort the patron to a safe place and ascertain exactly what assistance they require.

The concept was adopted from the UK, where it was founded by Hayley Crawford. The name was chosen in memory of Angela Philips, who was murdered by her husband. To date, eleven venues in the capital, as well as in the towns of Esch, Dudelange and Grevenmacher, have joined the scheme. Jérôme, the owner of the Caribou bar in the capital – the first venue to support the programme – highlighted the high demand for such measures: over the eight months the scheme has been running, incidents requiring intervention have been recorded on average every two weeks.

Despite the obvious relevance of the issue, the initiative has met with resistance from some business owners, who deny that any conflict situations exist on their premises. Terri Allington emphasises, however, that integrating the system does not require significant effort, and that basic staff training takes no more than twenty minutes. Law enforcement agencies, for their part, have expressed their official support for the concept. Police Operations Director Bob Leesch noted the effectiveness of this discreet method of requesting assistance, and dispatchers at the national 113 emergency response centre will soon undergo appropriate training to handle these specialised calls.

The financial side of the project remains its most vulnerable aspect. The Luxembourg government has rejected all requests for public funding, with the result that Terri Allington has invested around €7,000 of her own savings in the programme. The organisers are currently seeking private partners to further expand the safety network. It is worth noting that the official presentation of the initiative, which took place on Monday, was ignored by Luxembourg politicians; however, as a gesture of support, the British Ambassador, Joanne Olivier, attended the event in person.