Your safety. Always.
Who Leave Ajar is for
Leave Ajar is for anyone who would like a little more company in their day — whether that's someone who feels lonely and would value a friendly conversation, or someone confident and sociable who simply enjoys meeting new people.
The whole network is built around that quiet pairing. Kind, confident people sit in the Leave Ajar seat first; anyone who would welcome company can then join them, without ever having to announce themselves as lonely. That is the entire idea.
Leave Ajar is not a support service. It is not designed for people in crisis or anyone who needs structured professional support. If you or someone you know needs that kind of help, please contact your GP or a relevant support organisation.
The Leave Ajar seat is an invitation to conversation — nothing more. No personal information is exchanged through our platform. No one knows you are there except the people physically in the room.
Why Leave Ajar spaces are safe
A Leave Ajar space is safer than most social situations because:
- You are in a named, registered public venue.
- Staff are present in the venue during all operating hours.
- You are surrounded by other members of the public.
- You can leave at any moment.
- No personal data is exchanged before you arrive.
- Nobody knows you are coming.
In fact, Leave Ajar is structurally safer than a long list of everyday activities nobody thinks twice about:
- A first date arranged on a dating app — a stranger, pre-arranged, often somewhere quiet.
- Buying or selling on an online marketplace — a stranger coming to your home, or you going to theirs.
- Collecting an item from someone you have only ever messaged online.
- Joining any new community group, club or class for the first time.
- Sitting alone in any pub or café without Leave Ajar at all.
In every one of those scenarios you face the same or greater risk. Leave Ajar adds nothing to the risk of sitting in a café — it only adds the possibility of a good conversation.
Trust your instincts
The seat is always optional. You are never obligated to sit there or speak to anyone. Trust your instincts always.
Leave Ajar is designed for public spaces with staff present and other people around. It is not designed for private spaces, parks after dark, or anywhere you would not ordinarily feel safe alone.
Reporting concerns
If you experience any behaviour at a Leave Ajar space that makes you feel unsafe:
- Leave the space immediately.
- Contact the venue staff.
- If a crime has been committed, contact the police.
Leave Ajar is not a safeguarding or investigatory body. Individual venues are responsible for the safety and management of their own spaces.