We at Antic consider our public houses as being places for our customers to seek refuge from the daily grind, a beacon of hospitality and respite if you will, but increasingly we have realised that there are many in our communities, not necessarily our patrons, who might find themselves in circumstances where they need a brief refuge, a friendly face, or a helping hand. Whilst we would always offer such assistance to those in need, we would very much like to make this intention clear and obvious so that everyone in our city will know where they can seek shelter from whatever storm they find themselves in, and this desire has led us to establish Ark Haven. 

Ark Haven will be a not for profit endeavour, initially funded by Antic, which will seek to establish a network of safe spaces across London for all (our Ark), which when the buildings involved are open for trading will always provide a refuge and a place that affords protection and safety (your Haven). These Havens will allow anyone to take shelter in times of need, for the arrival of a cab, the arrival of a friend or relative, the emergency services, or any other charitable or public body which might best assist, so whether one feels in danger, is actively being harassed, or are just not feeling your best and need a seat, a smile, and a glass of water, all will know where they can turn. Prior to our official launch we shall train all of our staff in conflict resolution, first aid, and how to appropriately deal with anyone feeling vulnerable, and once we have established each of our Public houses as Ark Havens, we will encourage the uptake of this scheme by as many pubs and restaurants as we can, firstly in London and then beyond.

An Ark Haven will initially be identifiable with a motif sticker in the glazing of our front doors, behind the bar, and we shall look to install illuminated logo signs to the external parts of each building so that we hope these beacons will become as recognisable and ubiquitous as those for the London Underground, or in days past, the barbers pole. We are still few in number and so our online map signifying the location of each and every Ark Haven may be rather spartan to begin, but hopefully as others join us we shall succeed in closing the gaps so that one is never far away from assistance. The nature of distress is that it is generally very immediate and therefore so should we be.

Our city is awash with good Samaritans and so our aim is not only to provide shelter for those who need it, but also a visible focal point for all with good intentions, so that we may further cement the sense of community in each of the villages we serve.