#NoMore Poster Campaign Aims To Help Anyone Who Feels Unsafe On A Date

'Ask for Angela, the bar staff will know you need some help.'
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A UK poster campaign helping to keep people safe on dates has gained praise from others around the world. 

The posters, which are dotted around bars, tell men and women to “ask for Angela” at the bar if they start to feel uncomfortable or in danger on a date. 

The campaign, which is particularly aimed at those who use online dating, was first launched earlier this year in Lincolnshire.

However, people on Twitter have recently called for the initiative to be rolled out further after one of the posters, tweeted by Isobel O’Brien, went viral.

The poster reads: “Hi I’m Angela. Are you on a date that isn’t working out? Do you feel like you’re not in a safe situation?

“Is your Tinder or POF [Plenty of Fish] date not who they said they were on their profile? Does it all feel a bit weird?

“If you go to the bar and ask for ‘Angela’ the bar staff will know you need some help getting out of your situation and will call you a taxi or help you out discreetly – without too much fuss.”

The poster also includes a phone number for Lincolnshire Rape Crisis (0800 33 4 55 00) for anyone who needs to talk. 

O’Brien’s photo of the poster has been retweeted more than 21,000 times, with hundreds of people leaving comments to praise the campaign. 

Many have called for the idea to be rolled out nationwide or even globally. 

The poster is part of the #NoMore initiative created by Lincolnshire council and supported by Lincolnshire Rape Crisis.

The campaign, which initially ran from 6 September to 2 October, was designed to raise awareness of sexual violence and abuse services available in the county and promote a culture change within Lincolnshire.

During the launch companies were invited to participate by downloading posters or banners like the one spotted by O’Brien.

The campaign is set to run again in February 2017, to mark National Sexual Violence and Abuse Awareness Week. 

Commenting on the campaign, Hayley Child, sexual violence coordinator at the county council, said: “To reduce the rates of sexual violence and abuse, a whole culture change is needed and the #NoMore awareness campaign is the start of that. 

Heather Ind, crisis worker at Lincolnshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, added: “No-one should ever be a victim of sexual abuse, no-one should feel unsupported and no-one should ever justify sexual violence. There is support for everyone, male or female, of any age. We should never accept sexual violence as the norm in our society.”

Websites and numbers you may find useful:

Rape Crisis services for women and girls who have been raped or have experienced sexual violence - 0808 802 9999.

Survivors UK offers support for men and boys - 0203 598 3898

Victim Support for anyone who’s beent the victim of a traumatic event (including physical or sexual abuse) - 0808 16 89 111