Our Mission
Our Mission at Select Connections is to empower those people in mid to later life to overcome the challenges and stigma of dating over 50 and beyond. To find the love and companionship they desire by offering a unique, all-inclusive, whole-person, fully supportive and discreet service for dating and relationships in the third age.
Our Values
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Empowerment
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Inclusiveness
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Discretion
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Understanding
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Integrity
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Whole Person Approach
HOW WE WORK
We understand that a relationship breakup can leave you feeling dented and play havoc with your confidence, especially mid-life and later-in-life.
We offer a 'hands-on' service specifically designed for singles in their 50s, 60, and 70s, with each decade taken into its own area of consideration in respect of dating advice and expectations of our clients.
This said, our process remains the same for every client, and this is because we identify potential companions/partners based on their shared core values.
Our private & confidential network only contains identity-checked 'singles' who are looking for a companion/partner/husband/wife to continue on this next chapter of their lives with.
Select Connections is a unique agency founded and run by Jacqui, 58, and Melinda, 48 - who have both been divorced. A few years ago, they decided to set up an agency solely committed to mid-life and later-in-life dating simply because they both felt that agencies with clients across all ages did not understand them, and both ladies had negative online dating experiences.
The Select Connections male/female team of coaches and experts share the same demographic as their clients and have been through divorce, separation or the bereavement of a loved one.
The Process
At Select Connections, we understand that every dating experience is as individual as you are. The service that we offer is based on your dating aspirations and will be very different to any online dating experience that you may have faced.
Here is what you can expect from us:
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Initial contact – To apply for membership with us the first thing to do is to arrange a free, no-obligation call to discuss the process and the support you will receive. You will also have the opportunity to ask any questions or raise anything that may be worrying you. This call allows you to gain all of the information that you will need to make an informed decision about this investment in yourself. Once your application has been approved and contracts have been signed, your personal dating expert will be in touch to invite you to a more in-depth consultation so we can get to know you better, understand your interests, your likes and dislikes, what you find attractive, your values, your non-negotiables and your relationship aspirations.
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While your matchmaker gets to work you will be invited to a coaching session with one of our qualified and accredited dating coaches. This will allow you to confidentially discuss your dating/relationship experiences and work through any concerns that you may have about dating. Depending on your membership level your coach can be there to support you throughout your entire dating journey with us and be your personal cheerleader to help you along the way.
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Your photoshoot (if applicable) will be arranged and your professional profile will be written.
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Headhunting – Whilst steps 2 and 3 are happening your matchmaker will have been meticulously searching for potential matches and hand-picking introductions based on mutual values and aspirations. We will contact you with profiles for you to appraise. Your profile and photographs will be confidentially shown to your matches. We will encourage you to be open to meeting new people.
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Dates – should both you and your match be interested in moving forward we can put you in touch to arrange an agreed time and place to meet. Your coach will be available to discuss any pre-date nerves and your matchmaker is on hand to offer any help or advice. We will also give useful tips on staying safe when dating.
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Post-date evaluation – it’s very important to us that we calibrate your search and fine-tune our matchmaking process to help introduce you to your perfect match so you will have a call from your coach post-date to discuss how it went and identify any further needs. We prefer that you are completely honest with us as this can help us fine-tune any further matches if applicable.
TESTIMONIALS
When I approached Select Connections, I had been single for two and a half years and had not attempted online dating. I had heard so many conflicting stories about it, and at 65 years old, I decided that I would try and meet a lady by going out to places where I might bump into someone, strike up a conversation and take it from there!
To cut a very long story short – before the pandemic, this approach did not work. I have no idea where ladies in their 60s go-to for entertainment or socialising, but it certainly was not where I was. I failed to engage with literally any female company, and those I did were not trusting of a gentleman on his own trying to have a conversation with them – and then the pandemic arrived and that put paid to that.
When I looked at the membership fees, I thought it was roughly the cost of a week away on holiday, and I did not want to go on holiday alone.
At least if all went well by the end of the process, I would have what I so greatly desired, someone to spend the next however many years enjoying the nice things in life with and not feeling so lonely.
I am now on my third date. We have been dating now for just over two months. It is going really well, and it is like we have known each other for much longer than we have. Now we can book a holiday for TWO.
My first two dates were attractive ladies, but not the right ones for me. I felt that they were what I had to do to get to where I am now - in the process, you find out things about yourself that you either did not know or totally forgot about
Jacqui worked very hard with me after each date to identify the reasons for it not being the right person, and she used this information to search for a more suitable person – ultimately the right one.
Brian 65 Haslemere
I hear Jacqui on Radio Solent one Saturday morning and everything she said resonated with me and how I felt about the dating world today but I had no idea what to do about it. I scribbled down the website details and completed the contact form and Jacqui got in touch with me and arranged a no-obligation zoom consultation. I felt that Jacqui understood my fears and inhibitions and she seemed to be able to relate to everything I was feeling which made me feel I had chosen the right person to put my faith into on this very important and personal matter. I could go on, but I will be brief - nearly 2 months on and I am nearly 5 weeks into dating a lovely man that I would never have chosen myself, but on Jacqui's advice I gave it a go, and he is so interesting, interested and much more - I feel like a 16-year-old all over again, butterflies as well.
Janet, 58, Accountant, Guildford.
I had been married for 20 years - happily married - or so I thought when my husband told me he was leaving. It was like a bombshell, I was only 50 years old. Luckily I'm really close to my daughter and she helped me rebuild my confidence, but it took about 5 years. She had read something in the paper about a matchmaking service, and she can be very persuasive, my daughter.
Jacqui made me feel safe, she was interested in me and listened as I talked. Well, with plenty of encouragement from both Jacqui and my daughter I braved my first date (a socially distanced walk). As I write this I am very happy to say that my new partner and I are still finding our feet in the relationship but I never imagined it would be so much fun.
Linda (mid 50's)
As a young man I used to love my social life, lots of friends, always out at pubs, clubs, live events, etc. It wasn't till my wife and I split up that I realised that my social circle had slipped away. I tried the dating sites, but I missed the buzz of being meeting people, and making a connection before you ask a lady out.
I saw the Select website, and meetup group and went to a few online events. OK, it was online, but it felt a bit more my kind of thing, so I decided to dive in. My first dating connection didn't get past a zoom chat, but Jacqui coached us both through the feedback and we moved on with no bad feelings. My second connection is a big hit so far, we seem to be getting on really well, although it's early days and I'm still crossing all my fingers.
Andrew (Bournemouth, late 50's)
After much deliberation, I contacted Jacqui for a chat. She was warm, friendly, and very understanding of the situation and my reticence of entering the dating world again, now aged 64 and after over 30 years in my former marriage. She talked me through the process and gave me advice on how to best prepare myself for the journey ahead. With Jacqui by my side, this journey has become a most enjoyable and enlightening experience for me, in which I find I am now confident in myself, embracing my new self-awareness, and first and foremost - loving who I am!! I had two dates just after the New Year that was not for me, but lovely people. I am now on date 7 with my new lady and things are going really well, and I wanted to write this review because of the patience and understanding that Jacqui and Select Connections have shown me from my initial telephone chat right through to checking up on me after my first date.
Jeff, 64, Retired Director, Winchester.
