*This is a collaborative post*
The dating world can be a minefield. I'm sure most of us will have been on a dodgy date at some time or another. Whether it was a clash of personalities, bad teeth or one too many awkward silences, it's normal to have had a bad date every now and then. But whilst most of these experiences will have been harmless and we'll have laughed about them afterwards, there will have been other times when some of you may have felt unsafe and were desperate to get out of the situation.
Not all of us are as quick thinking as others when trying talk our way out of tricky situations. I'm personally someone who panics, mumbles pathetically and loses all ability to think like a logical person. My brother however can talk his way out of anything including dodgy dates, but that's a post for another time!
Say Hello To The 'Ask For Angela Campaign'
Lincolnshire County Council have recently launched the Ask for Angela campaign which basically enables individuals to seek assistance when they're feeling vulnerable, threatened or unsafe on a date. All you need do if you need help getting out of a situation is to approach staff in any participating venues and simply 'ask for Angela.' Provided that the venue is taking part in the campaign, the staff will know from what you've said that you're alerting them. They'll then do their best to help you whether this be taking you to one side for a chat, calling a family member, ordering you a taxi home or even calling the police if needed.
Dating Needn't Be Scary
If you have had a bad experience or are feeling wary of dating then don't worry, just take things slowly. Why not try initially joining an online free dating site so you can chat to like minded individuals? No-one says you have to date anyone. If and when you do decide to take the leap, you might be advised to find out which bars and clubs are joining in with the Ask for Angela campaign. Once you have this information to hand you can organise to meet your date in any one of these venues so that if - worse case scenario - it doesn't go well, you can seek help using the ask for Angela phrase.
Try to build up your confidence by chatting to potential dates on sites like free dating. Of course if you're particularly nervous then you could always arrange a double date with a friend, comfort in numbers and all that! Or if you don't want to double date, simply choose a busy and public place so that if anything does go wrong there's plenty of people around.
Let's Get 'Ask For Angela' Trending
The Ask for Angela campaign aims to reduce sexual violence. One can only hope. It's a cause I feel strongly about for one reason and another and in principle this is a great idea so I'm giving my full support. However, for it to be truly effective we need every venue across the UK to join in.
If you want to help spread word then get talking to your family and friends about this campaign today. Please also add the hashtag (#AskForAngela) to the end of your Tweets, Facebook and Instagram posts!
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