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Soirée Society NI – Finalists in the prestigious Matchmaking Agency of the Year at the UK Dating Awa

Claire Hughes, founder of Soirée Society and a former Bank Manager, took early retirement in 2012 after 35 years in banking and initially started her own consultancy business helping business start-ups.

Wednesday 29 November 2017

Claire Hughes, founder of Soirée Society and a former Bank Manager, took early retirement in 2012 after 35 years in banking and initially started her own consultancy business helping business start-ups.

She is a Fellow member of the Chartered Management Institute, and was the first banker in N.Ireland to be awarded Chartered Manager status. Having a real interest in promoting and supporting business, she served on the board of Dungannon Enterprise Centre from 2005-2012 and was Chairperson of ‘Up for Business’ network Dungannon 2012-2013. Currently she is an Independent Board Member for Department for the Economy NI.

In 2014, taking her own business advice and identifying a gap in the market, she founded    N. Ireland’s only award-winning and fully accredited Matchmaking Agency, Soirée Society.

Despite being a happily married woman, it appears that she is at the top of the dating scene in N.Ireland as she has won the prestigious ‘Best Upcoming Matchmaking Agency of the Year’ award at the UK Dating Awards in London in November 2016, was a finalist in the Rising Stars NI 2017 and her company was a Finalist in the Matchmaking Agency of the Year in November 2017. The business has gone from strength to strength with the number of new enquiries and successful matches necessitating the addition of a new Matchmaker, Rhoda Hughes.

It is all the more remarkable for a business which Claire only started in 2014 to share the stage with three of the largest long established UK and global Matchmaking agencies who charge £10,000 for their service - so singles in NI searching for ‘the one’ are certainly getting good value for their investment!

Claire states ‘There are statistics to prove that being in a stable relationship is linked to both physical and mental health benefits. Yet many professionals find it difficult to meet a partner. Reasons range from ‘lack of time/work commitments’, ‘dislike of the lack of confidentiality or distrust or disillusionment with online dating’, ‘lack of confidence after the break-up of a relationship or bereavement’. With their family and friends in relationships, life can pass them by. Employing a Matchmaker is just like a company using a professional recruitment company to fill a vacancy, as it significantly improves the chances of getting the right person for the job. The only difference is that we work to fill the vacancy in people’s lives’.

Further details can be found on the company website www.soireesocietyni.co.uk

Wednesday 29 November 2017