There is now a code-word to keep you safe on dates in Manchester
The new system could save you from a dangerous situation
A code-word for people stuck on dodgy dates could throw ‘a lifeline’ to potential victims of sexual violence and abuse.
Those who feel unsafe in Manchester’s nightspots are to be encouraged to visit the bar and ‘Ask for Angela’ as part of an innovative new scheme.
After seeing it successfully trialled in Lincolnshire, Manchester’s only opposition councillor, John Leech, pushed the council into implementing the scheme “as soon as is humanly possible”.
His rash wording comes just weeks after he uncovered a concerning rise in sexual attacks related to the use of Tinder and Grindr, accusing the two leading dating apps of a “serious and shocking lapse in care”.
The scheme, which is a play on the word guardian angel, was first successfully trialled in Lincolnshire aiming to empower people if they felt like they needed to be removed from an uncomfortable situation in public bars or pubs. They could go to the bar and ‘ask for Angela’ – this would alert staff that the person needed help getting out of the bar quickly, safely and without any fuss.
The council agreed to Mr. Leech’s demands after the former Withington MP said the city should start taking a leading role in tackling sexual abuse and violence.
He said: “Ask for Angela has been proven to work and could dramatically increase the safety of people in Manchester. I don’t see why we wouldn’t start putting plans in place immediately.
“As the popularity of apps like Tinder and Grindr continue to increase, more and more people are rightly meeting up with their dates in public bars and pubs, and we need to make sure we are one step ahead to ensure that no one is left in a situation they feel they can’t get out of.
“Implementing Ask for Angela in Manchester will ensure a lifeline for those people who unfortunately do find themselves stuck in an uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situation, and it’s our duty to get the scheme out as soon as is humanly possible.”