Sometimes in public places you may find yourself in a difficult situation that requires the help of a stranger. Whether it’s a bad first date, problems with your partner or family, or even if something is just plain unpleasant, it helps to know that with just one word you can alert those around you to what’s going on.

Many bars, stores and supermarkets have a number of different keywords that you can use to discreetly let people know what’s going on or that you’re in trouble if you don’t want to cause too much confusion. Some of these schemes are funded by the government and the police, but many people may not be aware of them.

Last year, a gatekeeper described how many times he was asked to use one of these keywords, you can read it here.

Details: I asked for Henry at Morrisons and was treated with pure friendliness.

Whether to help you get out of a situation or to provide support, these phrases can be of great help in stressful situations. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most common keywords and their meanings:

ask angela

The ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign encourages people who feel insecure to use the keyword ‘Angela’ to let employees know they need help with their situation.” Ask for Angela’ was originally developed by Lincolnshire County Council and adopted by the Metropolitan Police in 2016 as a local initiative by their police licensing officers.

This “Angela” code phrase will signal the team that someone needs help with their situation and a trained employee will seek support and assistance. This can be done by meeting a friend, escorting them to a taxi, or calling security and/or the police.

It is now used in many places, most notably overnight hospitality establishments, as a way of telling people how to get help if they need it. Signs are often placed in restrooms or in places where people can see them.




ask for ani

In January 2021, the UK government launched the Ask for ANI scheme, which allows victims of domestic violence to discreetly signal that they need help and receive support. According to the ANI, a trained pharmacist should provide a private space where they can understand if the victim needs to speak to the police or if they need help accessing support services, such as a national or local domestic violence hotline.

Initially, the scheme was available in 2,300 Boots stores across the UK, as well as 255 independent pharmacies. More than half of UK pharmacies are now registered with the scheme.

Ask for a dose of “Angel”.

People asking for help shooting an angel in bars have recently become popular on TikTok, so much so that the hashtag #angelshot has over 143 million views on the app. While this trend is definitely more prevalent in America now, it might be worth keeping in mind in case your team is aware of it as well.

As I write newspaper, you can request an image in several ways. The first way to order a photo shoot is direct, which means the guest needs to be escorted to the car. An angel shot on rocks or ice suggests they need help hailing a cab. And the third order, with lime, sends the staff to call the police.

Request a “Sandy Package”

The Pack for Sandy initiative was launched last year by Morrisons community leader Emma Parkinson in response to a period of poverty at her local Bolton store. After testing, the initiative is now available in 497 stores and the supermarket is distributing a further 125,000 hygiene products to local charities in a bid to ‘end poverty’.

Each Sandy pack contains two sanitary napkins, enough to get you home from the grocery store without a major mess. One person tested the scheme to see if it worked and if the staff knew about it, you can read about it here.

ask Henry

In addition to its Sandy programme, Morrisons also launched an ‘ask for a Henry’ scheme earlier this year to offer a hot meal to anyone struggling with the cost of living crisis. Unfortunately, the scheme ended at the end of November, but it’s worth knowing in case the supermarket decides to bring it back.

The supermarket giant launched the ‘Ask for Henry’ campaign in partnership with Heinz Beans at Morrisons’ 397 cafes, where more than 160,000 meals were made available to the public. The idea was that anyone who “ordered a Henry” at a Morrisons cafe during that time (and while supplies last) would be served a hot, hearty Heinz potato topped with beans, no questions asked.

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