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Decked out with bunches of pink balloons and red roses, Valentine’s Mansion in North East London provided the perfect setting for an evening of romance to mark the start of a unique new service which will help adults with learning disabilities find love.

The More Than Friends project, run by Redbridge-based charity Uniting Friends, has created a safe and an easy-to-use dating website where local people with learning disabilities will be able to log on and get matched to prospective partners. A team of trained relationship support workers will be on-hand to help arrange and discretely chaperone the dates. There will also be regular singles events organised throughout the year.

Confidence and assertiveness

Many people with learning disabilities feel isolated and have a limited social circle. As well as helping people develop loving relationships, the project hopes to give people a chance to socialise outside their normal group and enjoy new friendships.

The project welcomes people from age 18 upwards and expects to help people with very little or no experience of dating. There will be help every step of the way. A pre-dating relationship course will offer advice on everything from assertiveness to looking good and feeling great.

“We want people with learning disabilities to have the same opportunities to form relationships as you and I,” says project co-ordinator Russell Lerner. “The project’s starting point is to make this possible by giving people the skills and experience to make an informed choice.”

Kelly, 38, and Sam, 35, both live in Ilford and got engaged last year. They believe the More Than Friends project will offer the support that people with learning disabilities need to form relationships. “It is hard to meet people on your own so we hope this project helps others find someone nice like we have.”