The festive time can be a joyous occasion. We eat, drink, and are merry. It can be a lot of fun. It can however also be really hard, especially for people who are single who may not want to be. The good news is that there is still time to meet someone so you can go into 2020 with a partner or someone special. Here we are going to share our top tips to find that person so you have someone to celebrate with on New Year’s Eve!
- Search online for dating sites UK and look for a dating site which has singles in your area and those who have common interests. Sites such as WeLoveDates are a great place to start and allow you to connect with people you may not have met otherwise.
- Attend a social or singles event. Run by a variety of different organisations – local and national, these events can be a great way of meeting new people – again who may share that common interest or hobby with you.
- Go to a venue you’ve never been to before. You don’t have to go on your own – but if you are going out for the evening or night with friends, why not try a bar or restaurant you’ve not tried before? Not only are you widening your horizons and opportunities, but you are increasing the selection of people you will come across.
- Ask your friends to introduce you to someone new. Even if that person isn’t good for a prospective date, maybe they know people who you can subsequently be introduced to. This is a great way of increasing your social circle. Perhaps even organise a single’s party for your single friends. They have to all bring a guest who is also single (ideally of the opposite sex to get a good balance) and see who hits it off with who.
- Try a new activity or hobby. Whether it takes the form of trying an evening class, or an informal meetup, trying a new skill can be a great way to meeting new people. Last year I went on a beginners photography course – it was a skill I really wanted to learn more about, and I got a lot out of the day, but I also met some great people who were also really interested in pursuing this new hobby. Look online for local colleges or adult education centres to see what is running locally and what you might be interested in.
However you meet these new connections – just remember to date safely. If you already know the person, or they are known to someone well who you know and trust, then you can be a little less cautious, but when meeting brand new people, completely outside of your social circle, you need to be discerning and wise. Although the majority of people assume it is just women who need to be safe, these rules apply to men as well.
- Don’t drink too much – drinking a lot of alcohol lowers your inhibitions and allows you to be taken advantage of much easier.
- Meet in a safe, neutral location, ideally one with good lighting and public transport links.
- Make sure a trusted friend knows who you are meeting and where you are going. They should check in with you by a certain time and if they can’t contact you they should be able to raise the alarm appropriately.
- If anything seems off – trust your gut and leave. Don’t stay in a situation which is leaving you uncomfortable, just so you don’t appear to be rude. The trusted friend from earlier could in fact call you about an hour after the date starts so you can pretend to have an emergency and have an excuse to leave.
- Never leave drinks open and uncovered. Keep drinks with you at all times. A lot of people feel this is in particular relevant to women, but whilst women may be targeted with date rape drugs or similar with perhaps a sexual motive, men can still be targeted with this motive, however they are also frequently targeted with similar drugs as women but with a purpose of robbery.
- On that note – don’t flash around large amounts of money or technology. That’s not saying don’t check your phone or carry any cash on you (some cash is ideal in case you need to leave early and take a cab or public transport) but flashing around the brand new phone or tablet which has only been out for 5 minutes will draw unwanted attention to yourself.
