Frequently Asked Questions

Catalyst
Matchmaking

FAQ

About our matchmaking service

Absolutely not; you always have a choice as to whether or not you want to proceed with a date. Having said that, we would always encourage you to give a date a go, even if you’re not 100% convinced from the photographs or information that they are a good match. We know for a fact that many successful relationships begin with a little uncertainty on one or both sides.

Although we will always do our best to support you as you arrange and go on dates, all members must take responsibility for their own safety. We have created a short dating safety guide, which we advise all members to read. Our team will not normally be contactable outside of working hours.

Full details of how our matchmaking service works can be found on our How we can help page. If there is anything you’d still like to know, feel free to get in touch.

Absolutely. When you join we will ask for the names (and dates of birth if you know them) of anyone with whom you would not like to be matched. This doesn’t necessarily have to be an ex-partner.

Yes, although we concede you are reading this online! Letting you know about our matchmaking services and events is the full extent to which we interact online. Your dating experience will take place entirely in the ‘real world’, from meeting our matchmaker to making contact with potential dates. Most of our clients have tried and been disappointed by online dating, and we offer a refreshing antidote to everything that can be difficult about using websites and apps.

If you don’t want to meet people we match for you, we will ask you to wait as new members are joining all the time. However, we would always encourage you to go on a date, as it is not usually possible to get a good impression of somebody without meeting them. Once you have joined as a member, you will not be given a refund if you decide not to go on any dates with potential matches we find for you.

We are based in East Anglia, primarily covering Norfolk and Suffolk. If you live elsewhere in East Anglia and are willing to travel then we will consider your application. Please bear in mind other members have joined on the understanding that potential dates will live in fairly close proximity, so your location could affect the potential number of matches we find for you. Your location is not just important for initial dates, but also for how it could affect the potential for a successful relationship. Registration meetings will normally take place in the Norwich area or can be done by video call. However, we will be visiting other major towns to interview people on certain dates.

Membership of our matchmaking service and attendance at one of our events are dependent on an initial registration process, after which you will be invited to make payment. We don’t currently have provision to pay through the website.
Not necessarily. While many of our clients are looking for a serious relationship with the ultimate goal of marriage and/or children, we just ask that everyone who joins us is genuinely looking for a relationship rather than a fling. Not everybody is ready to settle down and there is nothing wrong with that. We do not accept applications from people who are already in a relationship.
One of our main philosophies is that it is important to meet lots of people to improve your chance of finding the right partner. Therefore, many of our clients do go on dates with lots of different people. However, once you decide to begin a relationship with someone, whether you have met them through Catalyst Matchmaking or not, we expect you to put your membership on hold rather than continue to go on dates with other people. Memberships can be put on hold for six months, after which they will lapse if we have not heard from you.
When a match has been found, we will get in touch with you both to make sure you are happy to proceed with a date. If so, we will swap contact details and you can directly arrange plans together. We will always be on hand to help with planning a date if you need. After the date has taken place, we will follow up with you both to find out how it went and get feedback for each other. You are free to arrange follow-up dates and keep in direct contact if you would both like.
Once you have paid for membership, you will be kept on our books for up to three years. After this, if you wish to remain a member you will be invited to renew your membership.
In both our matchmaking service and dinner dating events we tend to have more interest from women wishing to join. We try to keep the ratio of women and men roughly even, and when we find we are getting a lot more applications from one gender or the other, we may temporarily suspend new memberships.
Absolutely, any information you give to us – through the website, over email or telephone, or in person – is kept completely secure. You can read more about how we look after the personal information we hold in our Privacy Policy.
We will help to match people ranging from their 30s to their 80s.
At the moment we only match people into heterosexual relationships, but we are certainly open to making our matchmaking service more inclusive in future. Irrespective of your sexuality or identity, you’re very welcome to register your details with us if you would like us to stay in touch. If we can generate enough interest in the LGBTQ+ community then we would certainly look into expanding our offering.
As part of the application process, new members are required to provide documents to prove their identification with a photograph and home address. New members must also sign an agreement to confirm that they will abide by Catalyst Matchmaking’s Code of Conduct.
Yes, we do use photographs and part of the full matchmaking service is to have a professional photoshoot, with the pictures kept on your file. However, we believe strongly that a photograph on its own should not be used to make a decision about whether or not you want to meet someone. This allows us to match people by taking into account matched interests, traits and characteristics. An important part of joining us is trusting the matchmaking process!

FAQ

About our Events

The easiest way to reserve a place at one of our events is to get in touch with us directly. Upcoming events are listed on our Events page, as well as on our Facebook page.

The cost of our events varies depending on the format, but prices are included in the events list on our Events page, and over on our Facebook page.

Our dinner dating and party events are held at various locations around the Norfolk and Suffolk area at the moment, but we hope to spread our wings as our membership grows.
Of course! This is completely normal, especially if it is your first time. It doesn’t usually take very long for people to relax and enjoy themselves, but we don’t underestimate what a big step it can be. You are welcome to contact us beforehand to let us know you will be looking for a little extra reassurance, and you are welcome to arrive a little early so we can have a chat and put you at ease before everyone else arrives. During the evening we pay close attention to everyone, and we’ll do our best to help you relax.
It’s inevitable that some of the same people may be at more than one event, but we’ll always try to ensure you meet lots of new people.
Yes! You are very welcome to sign up to an event with a friend – male or female. We’ve had lots of dinner dating guests do this, and we find it helps them feel more confident knowing they can arrive together.
You will get a full refund.
We try to put people in touch with each other; if both parties agree, details will be exchanged.