At Strath Union, we’re committed to making the Union a safe place where our students can feel comfortable letting loose and having a drink with friends. We have introduced several initiatives to make students feel safer on their night out. This includes the Ask for Angela Initiative.
 

What is Ask for Angela?

An initiative that aims to reduce sexual violence and vulnerability by providing customers with a non-descript phrase they can use to gain assistance from staff members. This allows them to be separated from the company of someone with whom they feel unsafe due to that person’s actions, words or behaviour. All the student has to do is approach a member of staff at the bar and ask for ‘Angela’. Our team will then take the individual to a safe space where they can provide them withhelp. This can be anything from reuniting them with a friend, phoning a taxi or removing the individual making them uncomfortable.

The Union has a zero-tolerance policy for anti-social behaviour so any concerns will be taken seriously. We have dedicated security staff that will remove anyone displaying anti-social behaviour. The bar staff are also a great team that are committed to making the Union a welcoming and safe space. They have all been trained on the ‘Ask for Angela’ initiative so you can feel comfortable approaching any of them with concerns you may have. Alongside this, the staff have received Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) training so they are equipped to help vulnerable students that may have been spiked. Regular toilet checks and disposing of unattended drinks are also conducted by staff as part of the bars commitment to creating a safe space within the Union.

There are several other initiatives that students can utilise to feel safe on nights out at the Union. The bar offers StopTopps which are drink-protectors, designed to deter drink spikers. It is a foil that covers the top of your drink so that it is much more difficult for anything to be put into it. They are free of charge behind the bar, just ask for one! Spiking test kits are also available. They can be a quick but important test if you have left your drink unattended and are simple to use by putting a drop of your drink onto the test patches on the strip and checking the colour. If the pink patch turns blue, or the yellow patch turns orange, then your drink has been compromised. It’s important to tell the bar staff so that they can address the problem quickly.  

Here are some other helpful tips for staying safe on a night out:

All concerns are taken seriously so never be afraid to reach out to a member of staff at the Union. If you have any concerns or just want a chat, reach out to the Union or email our Women’s Rep.