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21st October 2024
01:57pm BST
Women are praising the introduction of the Ask for Angela scheme to gyms in the UK.
The move is bound to help people feel safe and supported in spaces that may make them anxious.
The posters have been shared in gyms across the United Kingdom in a welcome move by the campaign group This Girl Can.
The group teamed up with ukactive, Safer Business Network, the Metropolitan Police Service, and the Mayor of London.
Ask for Angela was first introduced in hospitality venues in 2016 to help offer women support if they were uncomfortable on a night out.
The code word alerts staff that a customer doesn't feel safe and they can then help them leave the venue.
Anyone who feels anxious about the gym environment can lean on the scheme for support.
The campaign team said they're aware that gyms can be difficult spaces for women as they're a very male-dominated place.
But they hope this campaign will help many feel more at ease.
This Girl Can's Claire Edwards said: "Wearing tight clothing, changing in front of others, entering often heavily male-dominated spaces, as well as worries about getting active and not being good enough are all too common – often for women and girls.
"Our research found that safety concerns restrict women’s freedom and comfort in fitness and leisure centres and pose a significant barrier to them enjoying exercise."
She continued, "Ask for Angela' will reassure women and girls that they can, and should, seek help or report any situation that has left them feeling uncomfortable and that staff will be on hand to help."
The scheme will be rolled out in 11 London gyms.
However, there are calls for it to be introduced on a bigger scale.
