A Co Antrim woman has set out to revolutionise the way we organise meeting up with friends with a new app to align even the busiest of schedules.
Courtney White from Dunloy is the founder of Mates Dates Ltd, a new way to meet up with your mates, made simple.
With ten years experience of working with Mental Health, the 27-year-old said the social and emotional impact of being able to make time on your day for personal relationships played a major role in the development of the app.
Read more: Derry women to star in new documentary reflecting on their 90s school years
Speaking to Belfast Live, Courtney said: " I found that people didn't have an easy way to meet up with their friends - trying to get everyone together can be an absolute nightmare.
"I lived on my own during lockdown and I found I was maybe asking the same person so directly to do something and was worried that they would feel bad and that they would have to say yes.
For all the latest event news and top recommendations for food and drink, follow our new Belfast Social pages on Facebook and Instagram.
"I thought there was bound to be a more indirect way to do this and a less public way than putting up the likes of a Facebook status. There is a direct correlation between your social circles and your general wellbeing."
Like many adult friendship groups, Courtney found it hard to keep up with when people were working, who had agreed to plans and the long response times that hindered their ability to make solid plans.
With Mates Dates, you can see when your friends are available, vote on days/times/locations of meet-ups and see suggestions of things to do based on what you have indicated you would be interested in doing/your geographical location.
"When I first went to Invest NI, I was speaking with a lady who was doing my business plan and she told me she loved this because she too was worried that people only said yes to her because they felt sorry for her - I realised it was only me feeling this way actually.
"On Mates Dates, you can put in the activity that you want to do, set a time and then send it out to as many of your friends as you want and whoever is free can reply.
"In a way, I feel like if you say no to someone in that respect it's not as personal than if they had messaged you privately," she explained.
In May 2021, with no previous experience in app development, Courtney set out to make her dream a reality - selling her home to fund the project and putting everything into creating something that would combat isolation, highlight local businesses and provide a service not yet seen in Northern Ireland.
"There are a lot of people who have started things from their bedroom with no experience but they just have the drive so I thought I could do it too," she added.
Mates Dates officially launched on May 28 and in only three weeks, has been used by almost 500 members.
"I won a Social Enterprise Grant because they could see what I was trying to do in terms of bringing people together again on an easier platform," Courtney said.
"On the app as well, there is a support tab so if you are having a down day and no one is free to meet, you can click it and find a list of organisations that can give you support."
The app not only connects the public to their friends on an easy-to-use platform but also connects friends with local businesses by sharing suggestions on activities or locations for their next meet-up.
With chat functions, options to see your contacts' calendar to see when they are busy and many other features, Courtney highlighted how the app is not only perfect for friendship groups but could benefit event planning, sports team management and holiday plans.
She continued: "A few people I don't have contacted me telling me it was slick and easy-to-use which is nice because you are used to your friends giving you positive feedback.
"That's exactly what I wanted - I want my granny to be able to go in and put 'Sunday dinner' and send it to our whole family."
Currently, Mates Dates is focused on the Causeway Coast and Glens area as Courtney wanted to start off small and perfect her system before taking it across Northern Ireland - which she plans to do in the future.
"I just believe in it so much. I did a survey of 170 and 87 per cent of people didn't meet up with their friends as much as they'd like because it's just too difficult to organise.
"It shouldn't be this difficult in this day and age so I said I was going to do something about this."
If you are a business that wishes to express your interest in Mate Dates as it expands in the future, you can contact Courtney here.
Read more: Unique drink experiences launched in Belfast city centre
Read more: Lonely Planet picks three NI pubs in its Top 20
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.
