Finding a date isn't always easy, especially with today's hectic lifestyles, but help is at hand. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports.

HELEN Dowson may be getting married in the summer but it hasn't stopped her helping those not so lucky in love. In her spare time, the 34-year-old primary school teacher runs speed dating events.

Speed dating is well-established in London and the South-East but is just starting to take off in the North-East. Ditch or Date is the region's only agency.

Helen heard about it through her fiance Jonathan, who designed the website for his friend, one of the founders, Lynne Rocks. Helen went along to the first event in Durham to see what it was like, decided she wanted to be part of it, and now runs the franchise covering Durham, Sunderland and Newcastle.

Helen, who is getting married in August, has been off the dating scene for five years since meeting Jonathan in a nightclub, but says she knows how difficult it can be.

She says: "I have single friends and a couple of them have just come out of long-term relationships. They find the prospect of dating daunting, to say the least. It can be really, really hard. That's why something like speed dating is so good. At least you know that everyone else there is looking for a date."

So far, she has held four events, which have attracted people of all ages from across the region. They're all professionals looking for other professionals and they're willing to travel. "Often it's nice to have a night out in another town, see some new faces," says Helen.

Originally, it was just straight speed dating: 20 men and 20 women with three minutes to talk to each other. Everyone is given a card on which they tick the people they'd like to date

Although she still runs purely speed dating events, Helen has spiced things up a little, particularly for the younger daters, with ice breaker activities. These include lock and key, where the women are given a padlock to wear round their necks and the men are challenged with finding which one their key fits. There is also the date board, where everyone at the event displays their photograph. Interested parties post their details next to the picture and the replies are collected at the end of the evening.

"It's a lot more interactive," says Helen. "People have a good time. It's more funky and about having fun."

At the moment, the events are more popular with women - a reversal of the situation in the south. Helen thinks men are difficult to recruit because of the North-East's macho attitude - but she's working on it.

"I think they're a bit suspicious but once they realise what it's all about I'm sure they'll see what the benefits are. There are a lot more single people now. There isn't the pressure to be married that there used to be and people don't stay in relationships where they're not happy. In this day and age people are working longer and longer hours and they don't have the time to go out dating, especially if they have children. With speed dating, you get to meet lots of people in a relatively short space of time and you can see whether they're the sort of person you'd like to go out with.

"There are singles clubs and singles nights but they have a reputation of being for sad people who can't find dates. We're trying to make this fun. Even if you don't meet a date, you might make friends with some of the other girls. There's no pressure."

* For more information, visit www.ditchordate.com or call 0845 469469.