The pandemic has affected everyone in different ways. It has been a very difficult time for so many people, however, as we ease out of Covid restrictions and it becomes safer to socialise, we can now begin to enjoy some sense of normality and start to return to the activities we have missed so much.
We understand that for many people these coming months will actually be a time of increased worry and anxiety, this is especially so for those with autism or learning disabilities who may have been particularly affected and isolated during the lockdowns, and who may have already suffered from social anxiety. It is our mission to help alleviate these feelings, and to support people in feeling confident and safe to begin socialising again. This is important now, more than ever.
Nice 2 Meet Ya is a friendship and dating group for adults in Hertfordshire with learning disabilities and autism. As well as running a private online community that is only open to registered members, we also hold workshops and social events where members can meet and mingle, make new friends and enjoy safe and supported socialising or learning. We want to make sure that our members feel comfortable enough to take the first steps back into socialising again and so we want to give you an idea of how our events will run.
Support from our team
We will give you plenty of notice for events, answer any questions you may have, and support you in planning your travel and help to put in place any other support that you may need at the event. Sadly, a lot of people with learning disabilities or autism and the often-associated anxieties that they suffer, will miss out on opportunities to socialise simply because they don't have the right support there to enable them to join in. Everyone has the right to be included, have the chance to meet other people and build meaningful relationships.
Online socialising
In addition to our social events and workshops, our members will have the chance to socialise online with other members through our mobile app, if they choose to. We have a members only mobile app where our members can chat with each other in group chats and 1:1 chats, participate in forum conversations and quizzes and also group calls for those that would like to do this, without the pressure of meeting in person. Then, when you attend a social event, you may already know a few other members from the app, who you feel more comfortable with and who you can look forward to meeting in person. We can also help to match you with other members who have similar interests to you to meet on a 1-1 basis, so that you have things in common to chat about from the very start!
Small, relaxed gatherings & Covid-secure events
We will keep our face-to-face event numbers small this year, we will not hold any events larger than 30 members including the small, friendly Nice 2 Meet Ya team, who you will already be familiar with. We will hold our events either outside when the weather allows, or inside with appropriate social distancing in place. We will follow all Government guidelines in place at the time of each event, and we encourage our members to take whatever extra precautions they feel most comfortable with. Our team will wear facemasks and/or a face shield at all times. We want to continue to stay safe, however rest assured that our events will still be fun! We will help 1-1 introductions decide where they would like to meet and provide a chaperone when one is needed for new matches.
Let's get started!
For those who feel anxious, isolated, unsupported... let's take the first steps to better times together. We are building a real community at Nice 2 Meet Ya - our mission is to provide a safe, inclusive environment for members to socialise in, so that they can either return to (or even start) socialising in a way that they can really enjoy and benefit from.
For some people, online socialising is a great way to feel less isolated. For some, meeting with others face-to-face will be a real boost. However we do it, let's get started!