SADIE Evans sympathises with single people seeking partners because she has always been happily married. She also knows that single men and women over 40 may be especially reluctant to strike up new relationships.

So her 'Quickerdating' Gwent website - www.quickerdating.co.uk - is partly geared to this older group and introduces them to the US phenomenon of speed-dating.

The trouble is, she needs more men to balance the sexes at her social events. "At the moment I'm finding the men a bit slow in coming forward," she said. "I don't know what it is. They are happy to spend an evening propping up the bar, but that's with other men of course."

In recent years, with more unsavoury characters emerging from the woodwork, groups aiming to match single people with members of the opposite sex have dispensed with the term 'dating agency' in favour of 'introduction agency'. It seems a mite more civilised.

Quickerdating, though employing the word and all it can mean in terms of meeting someone just for a one-night stand, also avoids the description 'dating agency'. "Speed-dating is a great idea to give people confidence to meet someone to go out with," said Mrs Evans, from Tredegar Park, Newport. "One gentleman of 59 interested in dancing had no-one to partner and that's why he came along. If you can meet someone who likes what you like then you are made."

Mrs Evans requires everyone to sign on to her website first. There they will also find out when and where her social evenings are being held.

She arranges a venue and invites up to twenty single people of both sexes to come along and meet new friends for the evening.

Registration normally takes place between 7.30pm and 8pm, when singles will be given a badge with their first name on it and a 'score' card.

Mrs Evans then gives a short welcome and a brief explanation.

Ladies each sit at a numbered table and the men rotate from one table to the next after spending a few minutes in the company of each. Mrs Evans signals when it is time to move on.

The event is split into two periods with a 20-minute break.

At the end, singles hand her a score card, having marked on it whether the introduction was 'hot', 'cold' or 'warm'. They are then free to socialise together.

After Mrs Evans has entered the score-card data on her computer, the singles receive notification in 48 hours of their 'hot' and 'warm' matches and are given e-mail addresses of the people they match with.

"I would like everyone to be happily-married like me but I see so many people between 30 and 50 who are divorced or whose husband or wife has died," she said. "It's not so much a problem these days because people just accept it, but single women are still reluctant to go to a bar or something like it on their own. "It's just nice for people at our events to make friends with someone. If it ends in a long-term relationship then all the better."

Mrs Evans, who is 59, said she had examined newspaper small ads placed by people looking for partners and at least half were over 50. "All I want to see is people getting on and this is my way of finding out whether someone has clicked with somebody else," she said.

FACTFILE Sadie Evans's tips on how to make a good impression

DRESS: Something colourful for women, with hair accessory, scarf or piece of jewelry. The little red dress gets you remembered. Men should be smart and casual, with clean shoes and a colour that suits.

SMILE: You are more relaxed if you smile; it alters the shape of your face and people will smile back.

ICEBREAKER: Talk about something that happened on your way to the event.

CHATTING: Think, take a deep breath, speak slowly and give the other person chance to respond.

POSTURE: Don't fold your arms, it puts up a barrier, and be aware that your shoulders and hands are relaxed.

EYE CONTACT: This is very important, sometimes we talk and glance at the person opposite. But if you like what you see, hold that eye contact for a few seconds. It's a sure sign of interest.

FINALLY: Don't rush off. Stay, have a drink, mingle. This is your opportunity to relax with the special person who made an impression.