Warwick Speed Dating and New Friends quickly gains traction to create small-town romance

An adventurous Warwick enterprise is taking the stress out of matchmaking with a new romance event, and it’s picking up traction with people from all ages.

It can be hard at the best of times to find a date in the modern world, but add in the isolation and small population of country living and it can almost impossible.

In a world where seemingly the two options of finding love are dating apps set at their highest radius and Farmer Wants a Wife, it can seem next to impossible to find a partner for rural people.

One industrious Warwick local has gone back to basics to curve the endless catfishing, ghosting and swiping by bringing back “old-fashioned” meet-cutes.

Eloise Tavener set up Warwick Speed Dating and New Friends after talking to friends who struggled finding love in the area, and decided to help.

“I feel like such events would be helpful in any (rural) area as with the way today’s society is, it is hard to meet people,” she said.

“Even if you find something like that there is always the fear of them being their own ‘clique’ already so I’m wanting to run something that is interactive and engaging to get everyone involved and talking to each other.”

Eloise Tavener set up Warwick Speed Dating and New Friends after talking to friends who struggled finding love in the area, and decided to help. (Photo: Supplied)

And although the first event hasn’t kicked off yet, there’s been a wide range of interest from all age groups.

“There are a range of people interested from an 18-year-old to another person in their 70s, which I love because everyone deserves to have a chance at finding someone and I’m hoping to have everyone that I can included,” she said.

“For the most part, dating in a rural area, seems to be an online thing as with most places these days, however it is predominantly dating apps, so it’s not ideal for dating.”

Ms Tavener said she knew of people who had been stood up multiple times, as well as the issue of catfishing in modern online dating being a concern.

By either enrolling in speed dating or speed friending, besides a free drink participants can hopefully broaden their horizons and meet new people.

“I’m hoping to make the event to help those who have had issues and are losing hope with the online dating world and making it as stress free as possible,” she said.

“All I am hoping to get out of it is to help others and myself meet people and have a chance to make connections, be it in the dating or friendship event.”

The enterprise comes following a Toowoomba event which sold out, showing this kind of event does well in regional areas.

You can get involved by registering for the event here.

Originally published as Warwick Speed Dating and New Friends quickly gains traction to create small-town romance