Lewisham is home to a vibrant nightlife, especially around Goldsmiths, University of London, where students fill local pubs like the Amersham Arms and New Cross House.

But with the fun of a night out, or a romantic date, comes the occasional uncomfortable situation. That’s where the “Ask for Angela” scheme comes in.

Launched in 2016 by Lincolnshire County Council, Ask for Angela provides a discreet way for people feeling threatened or unsafe to seek help in bars and venues. By simply asking for “Angela” at the bar, customers can signal to staff that they need assistance without raising suspicion around them.

But how prepared are bar staff around Goldsmiths University if this situation occurs? Eastlondonlines visited local pubs to ask staff about the scheme.

At the Amersham Arms, bartender Victoria Gumienna shared that neither she nor her colleagues had received formal training on the Ask for Angela scheme, or how to handle similar situations. 

“None of us learnt about it through work”, she told Eastlondonlines.  

Despite this, Gumienna has handled several situations where women approached her due to unwanted attention from other customers. In such cases, she has relied on calling security, a practice she says she would follow even if someone asked for Angela. For now, she admits, her approach is based on intuition rather than formal guidance. 

Down the road at New Cross House the story is quite different.  

Staff member Valentina Baturova is well informed about the Ask for Angela scheme, crediting her pub’s monthly meetings, which always include discussions about safety procedures. Additionally, regular visits from the council make sure the staff are reminded of their role in keeping customers safe. 

“If someone asks for Angela, we’ve got a secure room upstairs in the office. (…) We ask if they’re happy to stay or if they need a taxi, or if we should contact friends or a family member. Just create a secure place for them basically”, she told ELL. 

Baturova also acknowledged that situations can be complex: “We have a lot of first dates here, so if the girl doesn’t feel safe, but the guy hasn’t done anything criminal, all we can do is just remove her and make sure she is safe. I could call the police, but they wouldn’t do anything about it in this case.” 

In a unique move, New Cross House also runs an equivalent scheme for men called “Ask for Clive”, an initiative they’ve kept from their days as an LGBTQ+ bar to make sure all customers, regardless of gender, feel protected.

“No one’s ever used it, but it’s good to know it’s there,” Baturova said. 

Megan Abbott, a bartender at The Rose also believes knowing about Ask for Angela is crucial, especially in a student-heavy area like New Cross.

While Abbott learned about the initiative before she started at The Rose, she received additional online training during her induction. While no one has asked for Angela during her shifts, Abbott noted that there has been little to no follow-up since her induction. Additionally, signs promoting the scheme that used to hang in the bathrooms have since been removed. 

“All of my friends know about it (the scheme), but I’m 24 and I know my age group is aware. But I’m not sure about older or younger generations,” she told ELL. 

Abbott also believes the scheme is only tailored towards women and she does not know about any schemes or code words that men could use in uncomfortable situations. 

At Planet Wax, a record store and bar catering to students, co-owner Chris Dexta is proud of his venue’s safety measures.  

Dexta and his team were introduced to the Ask for Angela scheme when the council provided posters and training, he told ELL. Now posters for the scheme are plastered by the entrance, near the toilets, and along the stairs.  

However, he pointed out that his staff haven’t experienced any situations requiring its use: “We’re not that kind of place,” he said, crediting the venue’s doorman for diffusing potential problems before they escalate. 

Dexta also shared his strong views on the issue of harassment and unwanted attention that make Ask for Angela necessary. “I think it’s more important that people don’t learn that this is a thing as a youngster. It’s sick. It’s a perversion of some sort,” he said, adding bluntly: “They need to be castrated, in my personal opinion.” 

John Kelly, who has worked at the Marquis of Granby for 37 years, was less familiar with the scheme.  

“I don’t know very much about it. We had signs up in the past I think, but they must have been taken down”, he told ELL. 

Like other venues, they have some safety training for new staff coming in, but they are mainly instructed to refer difficult situations to senior employees. John, with decades of experience behind the bar, notes that he and his team typically handle such incidents by evicting troublemakers directly.  

“It does happen from time to time, you might get an old weirdo who’s staring and looking around, and they stand out. We tell them that they’re not being served and if they don’t go then we evict them.  

I do think most of the staff here are street wise, they know what to do”, Kelly told ELL.  

The Amersham Arms and The Rose did not respond to requests for comment.

The level of preparedness among bar staff across Goldsmiths’ local venues clearly varies. While some pubs, like New Cross House, have integrated the scheme into their regular safety protocols, others rely heavily on security to handle incidents. However, what remains consistent is the staff’s commitment to customer safety. 

As Chris Dexta put it: “We just want to make sure that it’s a nice environment for people, I don’t want anyone to get hurt, inside or outside.”