Dates-n-Mates Scotland

What Dates-n-Mates Scotland does

Dates-n-Mates Scotland is a registered Scottish charity (SC052107 / Company SC74852) that delivers social, friendship and dating programmes for adults with learning disabilities. Founded in 2008 as a project within C-Change Scotland and spun out as an independent entity in April 2023, the organisation operates five regional branches across Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Aberdeen, Falkirk and Stirling & Clackmannanshire. Service delivery centres on a regular calendar of accessible social events, friendship matching, chaperoned dates and educational workshops, supported by a volunteer infrastructure (including named "Friendly Faces" roles) and a Champions Points reward scheme. Approximately 40% of the ~18-person staff team have lived experience of learning disabilities, and board representation reflects the beneficiary community.

The product portfolio spans a member-facing service (full membership priced at £10/month or £120/year, with a £3/month online-only tier introduced post-COVID) and a commercialisable training line — a five-module Love & Sex workshop curriculum on sexuality, consent and relationships, sold to external social care organisations, schools and educators. Supporting surfaces include the Dates-n-Mates Direct podcast (Anchor.fm), an annual Love Without Limits Conference, and a branded merchandise line. The underlying technology footprint is deliberately minimal and consumer-grade: Facebook closed groups for member community, Zoom for virtual events, Anchor.fm for podcast distribution and Ticket Tailor for event registration — reflecting a service-led operating model rather than a software platform.

Revenue is a hybrid of membership fees, donations, training/workshop sales and grant funding. Disclosed grants total approximately £406,878 across 2022-2023, comprising £179,318 from the Scottish Government Learning Disability Support Fund (over 2.5 years), £195,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund and £32,560 from the National Lottery Strengthening Communities Fund. The combination of subscription, donation and public/lottery subsidy defines a partially-earned, substantially grant-dependent charity model.

Name

Dates-n-Mates Scotland

Legal name

Dates-n-Mates Scotland

Website

https://datesnmates.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dates-n-Mates Scotland is an independent Scottish charity providing friendship, dating and social events programmes for adults with learning disabilities. Operating five regional branches plus an online membership tier, it delivers chaperoned dates, workshops and relationship education across Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Dating & Relationship Networks (BPAMABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK)

Keywords

• Disability friendship services
• Learning disability support
• Social events programming
• Relationship education programmes
• Charitable membership services

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Members pay monthly or annual fees to access events, workshops, dating support, and social activities across all branches.
2. Government and Lottery Funding: Received £179,318 over 2.5 years from Scottish Government's Learning Disability Support Fund for core costs. Received £195,000 from National Lottery Community Fund for Aberdeen branch growth. Received £32,560 from National Lottery's Strengthening Communities Fund for social enterprise initiatives.
3. Donations: Accepts donations from individuals and organizations to support the charity's mission.
4. Training Services: Provides Love & Sex training workshops to other social care organizations, schools, and educators on sexuality, consent, sex and relationships education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dates-n-Mates Scotland provides social events, friendship and dating services, member workshops, and a love and sex training programme for adults with learning disabilities across Scotland. The charity operates through a membership programme with both full and online-only tiers, a Champions Points recognition system, and a volunteer programme supporting local branches. It also delivers paid training on love, sex, and relationships to social care organisations and others supporting people with learning disabilities.

Product overview

Dates-n-Mates Scotland is a registered Scottish charity providing a suite of friendship and dating services for adults with learning disabilities. The core offering comprises Social Events, Friendship & Dating services, Member Workshops, and Love & Sex Training workshops. These services are delivered through a membership programme (£10/month or £120/year) with regional branches in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Aberdeen, Falkirk, Stirling, and Clackmannanshire. An online-only membership variant (£3/month) extends reach beyond geographic branches. The Champions Points Programme incentivises member participation, while the Volunteering Programme supports operations with roles including Friendly Faces, event support, and admin. The Dates-n-Mates Direct podcast amplifies member voices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dates-n-Mates Membership Programme (Full) Full membership tier that gives adults with learning disabilities access to the charity's in-person social events, friendship and dating activities, workshops, and branch-based activities across Scotland.
• Dates-n-Mates Online-Only Membership Lower-priced online-only membership tier for adults with learning disabilities who want access to virtual events and digital community activities without attending in-person events.
• Social Events Programme Programme of accessible social events for members including club nights, day trips, and inclusive activities delivered through regional branches and online.
• Friendship and Dating Service Service helping adults with learning disabilities make friends and find romantic partners through supported introductions, events, and member-led activities.
• Member Workshops Workshops covering life skills, relationships, and personal development topics designed for adult members with learning disabilities.
• Love and Sex Training Specialist training on love, sex, and relationships, delivered to members and also sold as a paid service to social care organisations and others supporting people with learning disabilities.
• Champions Points Programme Member recognition scheme that rewards engaged members with points, certificates, and Champion status for participation in activities and events.
• Volunteering Programme Programme offering Friendly Faces and Champions volunteer roles that support events, branches, and member activities across the charity's regional network.
• Dates-n-Mates Direct Podcast Podcast that explores topics around love, sex, relationships, and learning disability, supporting the charity's mission and member engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 630+ social events hosted in one year across Scotland
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DFN Project SearchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Employability programme for young people (aged 16-24) with learning disabilities and/or autism. Partnership provided internship opportunity at Dates-n-Mates Aberdeen.
• Values Into Action ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner in the DFN Project Search programme delivered in conjunction with Aberdeen University and North East Scotland College.
• Include Me 2 ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver Club Late, Scotland's biggest inclusive monthly club night for adults with disabilities. Includes live DJs and local bands.
• Four Pillars LGBT+ CharityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrings Grampian Pride events to Aberdeen in partnership with various organizations. Deejay Bullock has delivered LGBT+ awareness virtual chats to Dates-n-Mates members.
• C-Change ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDates-n-Mates originally launched as a project of C-Change Scotland in 2008 and became an independent charity in April 2023. C-Change Scotland remains a partner organization.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• United Response: National UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities and mental health needs through personalised support and community-based services. Comparable member profile and community-delivery model, but with a broader, multi-condition remit.
• Sense: UK charity supporting people with complex disabilities, including learning disabilities and sensory impairments, through social, housing, and education services. Comparable mission and community-delivery ethos with a wider disability remit.
• Leonard Cheshire: International disability charity providing supported living, education, and employment programmes. Comparable in supporting adults with learning disabilities to live more independently, at significantly larger scale and geographic reach.
• Hft: UK charity providing personalised support to adults with learning disabilities, including supported living, day services, and social inclusion programmes. Comparable member base and support orientation at significantly larger national scale.
• Mencap: UK's largest learning-disability charity, offering a wide portfolio of support services, campaigning, and social programmes. Operates at far greater scale than Dates-n-Mates and overlaps on the underlying mission of supporting adults with learning disabilities to live more connected lives.

Direct peers

• Values Into Action Scotland: Scotland-based learning-disability organisation delivering person-centred support, already partnering with Dates-n-Mates on DFN Project Search. Closely comparable geography, member base, and member-led ethos.
• Enable Scotland: Scotland's largest learning-disability charity, delivering membership-based campaigning, employment support, and social programmes across Scotland. Directly comparable geography, member profile (adults with learning disabilities), and member-led ethos, though with significantly larger scale.
• C-Change Scotland: Original parent organisation that incubated Dates-n-Mates from 2008 to 2023, sharing a Glasgow HQ. Provides personalised support for adults with learning disabilities and other marginalised groups, overlapping directly in mission, geography, and operational model.
• The Outsiders Club: UK dating and friendship network for physically and socially disabled people. Direct analogue to Dates-n-Mates' core dating-and-friendship service model, but focused on physical rather than learning disability and operating at UK-wide rather than Scotland-only scope.
• Include Me 2 Club: Disability-inclusion charity delivering accessible events (notably Club Late, Scotland's biggest inclusive monthly club night) in partnership with Dates-n-Mates. Comparable focus on social/recreational inclusion for adults with disabilities in Scotland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dates-n-matesscotland9396
• Facebookfacebook.com/dnmaberdeen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dates-n-mates-scotland

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dates-n-Mates Scotland