A MATCHMAKER dubbed the ‘Cilla of Southbourne’ is helping to bring couples together across Bournemouth.

Mandy Norris, who also runs the Cherries Cafe in Curzon Road, started the group Southbourne Singles on Facebook in September and it now boasts almost 600 members.

The friendship group for single people has helped bring around eight couples together with members ranging from ages 18 to 79.

Anyone with a BH postcode is able to join and each weekend events take place in the local area allowing members to socialise, however, the group is is now so successful many members are now organising their own spin-off events.

Mandy, who is single herself, started the group after seeing a post in another Facebook group where someone had said they were looking for a date for a friend.

She said: "There were thousands of comments and it was hilarious but reading between the lines I could see there were so many singles out there. I myself had many awful experiences with dating sites and thought why not try a singles Facebook group in Southbourne and I did it. I didn’t know what to expect and I advertised it on a few Facebook groups and within 24 hours I had 150 members."

Members who post in the group use a different coloured heart to show if they are looking for love or friendship.

A green heart means someone is looking for friendship, a red heart denotes they are looking for love while both hearts indicate they are looking for friends and possibly more.

If someone messages another person using a blue heart, it is a polite way of saying they are not interested romantically which Mandy says helps to remove the need for any awkward conversations.

She said her biggest success has been helping people in overcoming their shyness including a woman Mandy had to meet outside a pub as she was too nervous to go in.

"She is now attending most events and is meeting newcomers outside events and helping them mingle, She is also now dating someone and said the group has changed her life," Mandy said.

The group currently has a ratio of 32 per cent men to 64 per cent women and new members are welcome to join.

Mandy added: "I had no experience and I didn't know what was going to happen. It's gone beyond what I could have imagined."

All new members will be asked to answer three questions before they can join and people must have a genuine Facebook profile picture that features themselves.

To join, search Southbourne Singles on Facebook.