South East Technological University (SETU) partnered with Waterford, City and County Council, An Garda Síochána, the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI), Rapid Cabs, the Sexual Assault Unit, (HSE) and Purple Flag to relaunch the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign.
Local representatives from these organisations recently came together at SETU’s Cork Road Campus in Waterford for the official event. As a university city, Waterford City County Council and SETU aim to work together to create a place in which students feel safe to live, visit, learn, and socialise.
The ‘Ask for Angela’ aims to support anyone on the premises of a bar or restaurant who is experiencing inappropriate behaviour from another patron. You can go up to a member of staff and ask for ‘Angela’. The code word lets staff know a person is feeling uncomfortable and needs a way to get out of the situation. The staff member will discreetly help the person to find the best way to deal with the situation.
Participating premises will display ‘Ask for Angela’ posters, and management and staff will be briefed on how to help safeguard patrons. Local businesses will work alongside security staff, create protocols, brief staff thoroughly on best practice, and report any incidents.
Opening the event in Waterford, Dr Allison Keneally, Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at SETU, said, “SETU is delighted to support this key initiative. Through this important collaboration with local partners, we can ensure that our students and our community are safer.”
Inspector Shay Keevans of An Garda Síochána, who gave a presentation as to how the “Ask for Angela” initiative works on a practical basis, said, “An Garda Síochána, is delighted to be part of this safety campaign. This initiative aligns itself with the mission statement of keeping people safe.”
Speaking about the importance of the initiative, Jason Murphy, Mayor of Waterford City and County, commented, “It is great to see so many agencies involved in this campaign. It also involves us, as a community, spreading the word and reinforcing the message that we are all responsible for each other’s safety.”
“The Ask for Angela campaign supports our work at SETU to help members of our university community feel safe and to assist us in the implementation of the SETU Action Plan for Tackling Sexual Violence and Harassment. This plan will raise awareness, tackle sexual violence and harassment, deliver training, and make our community more aware,” added Róisín Shanahan, Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Manager at SETU.
Mark Dunne, Student Union President at SETU, commented, “It's an initiative for both students and the wider community.”
