This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the groundbreaking safety scheme, with a tribute to the real woman behind the name
The nationally recognised safety scheme Ask for Angela is marking its 10-year anniversary and honouring the real woman the initiative was named after — Angela Phillips (Crompton).
For the first time since the scheme was created in 2016, special anniversary promotional materials will feature an illustration of the real Angela, created from one of her family’s most treasured photographs.
The design will appear on posters and resources used by licensed venues across the UK and beyond, ensuring Angela’s name, story and legacy remain at the heart of the scheme.
Angela’s daughter, Hollie, has welcomed the anniversary tribute to her mother and the continued impact of the scheme that bears her name.
Hollie said: “Growing up my mum was the best. Always the most fun, bubbly, vibrant, outgoing and caring person. When I was around 15 she met a man, they shortly married and a few months later she was killed. She was killed by him, with a hammer, in the home they shared, over an argument about decorating.
Ask for Angela was created by Hayley Crawford to give people a discreet way to ask for help in bars, pubs, clubs and other venues if they feel unsafe, harassed or at risk. Over the past decade, it has become one of the most widely recognised safeguarding schemes in the UK, with international reach.
Hayley Crawford, the creator and founder of the Ask for Angela scheme, said the anniversary felt like the right moment to return the scheme to its origins.
She said: “I created Ask for Angela ten years ago, and since then it has grown into a global safety scheme. As we mark this milestone, it is incredibly important to honour the woman it was named after — Angela Phillips — and to hear her story through her daughter, Hollie.
“For the 10-year anniversary, I wanted the posters to be dedicated to the real-life Angela. Using a cartoon representation based on her family’s most treasured photograph felt like a meaningful and respectful way to do that.”
Reflecting on the scheme, Hollie said: “Hayley started Ask for Angela, named in my mother’s memory. This has given us such a sense of pride and closure knowing that women and people who feel unsafe in public spaces are using her name for safety. I’m sure she would be so incredibly proud to know that she has helped so many people worldwide and continues to do so as the safety scheme grows.”
Ask for Angela is now in the process of becoming a registered charity, and Hayley hopes that this will help secure the legacy of the work she started and grow the commitment of even more venues to help keep people safe.
Hayley said: “I am incredibly proud to be establishing this charity, and to be supported by such committed and passionate Trustees. I also want to wholeheartedly thank every venue that has implemented Ask for Angela over the past decade and ensured staff know exactly what to do when someone asks for ‘Angela’. It’s a simple scheme to implement but to someone in a vulnerable situation, it means absolutely everything.”
Although lots has changed over the last decade and since her mum was tragically killed, Hollie acknowledged that there is more to do to end violence against women and girls. She added, “I hope that next time you see the poster, you will think of my mum, but also the many people the scheme has helped and stand with us in the fight against violence against women. I’m very grateful that Ask For Angela, despite the circumstances, is helping to make public spaces safer every day.”
She added: “I am delighted to be working with Paul Street and everyone within Birmingham Colmore to implement the new 10 Year anniversary resources across the area. Their support has been exceptional and shows how important safety within social spaces is to them. Ask for Angela the Charity (registration pending) looks forward to continuing to grow the scheme locally in collaboration with Birmingham Colmore.”
For additional resources and training videos for venues, visit www.askforangelaofficial.uk
