Loveis inthe air
GOOD news for people with learning disabilities or autism looking to make friends – or find romance. A new friendship and dating agency is up and running in Cheshire and Merseyside, and organisers want to hear from anyone wanting to take their first steps towards finding a friend or partner.
Spring into Action received a grant of £25,000 from Cheshire and Merseyside Transforming Care Partnership to develop Meet ‘N’ Match – the friendship and dating agency for adults with a learning disability and/or autism.
Erin Blanchard, who is running the project from Birkenhead, Wirral, said: “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this project. I feel this is an area that, until now, has been overlooked in terms of services specifically designed for dating and friendships for people who have learning disabilities and/or autism.
“I believe active social lives and healthy relationships are the cornerstone of maintaining a person’s overall wellbeing and having a learning disability shouldn’t be a barrier to achieving that.
“I can’t wait to meet people, to match people, and to enable our members to take those first steps to finding new friendships and love!”
Project coordinator Lucy Hamlin said: “People in the Cheshire and Merseyside areas have been asking us for the last two years to bring the project here.
“We are more than just a dating agency. Yes people can join and we can look for matches and support them to start, develop and maintain friendships and relationships, but we also provide social activities where people can go for a night out, and relationship training, where we teach people how to date and how to stay safe in relationships.
“Generally, people with a learning disability have limited opportunities to meet their peers and to form lasting connections. This can leave them feeling lonely, isolated and depressed.
“We know that this is one way of improving people’s physical and mental wellbeing, whilst opening up possibilities for the kind of relationships that others take for granted.”
■ Contact Erin Blanchard: Tel. 0782 814 2611 or email erin@meet-n-match.co.uk www.meet-n-match.co.uk www.spring-projects.co.uk