Carolyn Brownell, executive director of Cardiff’s Business Improvement District, has been named a national ambassador for the UK-wide safety initiative Ask for Angela.
She joins a team of other national ambassadors, including London’s Night Tsar Amy Lamé and Welsh rock band Chroma, whose 2023 debut album Ask for Angela was named after the scheme.
In her tenure as executive director, Carolyn has supported women, girls, and other vulnerable groups through launching a number of support programmes.
From creating and chairing the Women’s Safety Network, to founding the UK’s first Women’s Safety Charter, to signing up almost 100 Cardiff businesses to the Safe Places scheme, to launching the first bilingual Welsh-language Ask for Angela scheme in venues across the Welsh capital – Carolyn and FOR Cardiff have put measures in place to keep Cardiff a safe city for all.
Ask for Angela is a national scheme designed to help anyone who feels vulnerable on a night out.
People who feel unsafe, vulnerable or threatened can discreetly seek help by approaching venue staff and asking them for ‘Angela’.
Using this code phrase will indicate to staff that they require help with their situation and a trained member of staff will then look to support and assist them.
This might be through reuniting them with a friend, seeing them to a taxi, or by calling venue security and/or the police.
Ask for Angela also provides free training and resources for individuals or groups.
As a national ambassador for the Ask for Angela scheme, FOR Cardiff – led by Carolyn – provide safe spaces for all who need them within the city.
Carolyn said: “Schemes like Ask for Angela are crucial to making sure all people can enjoy a fun and, most importantly, a safe night out in Cardiff and beyond.
“We were proud to launch the first fully bilingual Welsh-language Ask for Angela scheme in the UK. Our focus now is to watch it spread throughout the nation – we want to see our posters and training delivered across Wales.
“FOR Cardiff is proud to support a range of safety initiatives within the city, which have contributed to making Cardiff one of the safest cities in the UK – according to data from Numbeo.
“As a Business Improvement District, we always strive to deliver industry-leading projects to showcase Cardiff as an innovative, fun, and safe destination for all – and we’re proud to have won more awards than any other BID in the UK for our work on this.”
For more information on setting up Ask for Angela in your venue, and to access Welsh-language training and assets, go to: https://forasafercardiff.com/
For more information on Ask for Angela, go to https://askforangela.co.uk/
