Social Buddies - Frequently Asked Questions

I am not in my forties or fifties - can I still join the group?

Most of our members are in this age range, and a few are older or younger than this. The age range is given as a guide, not a strict rule. The most important thing is whether you feel on the same wavelength as people in their 40's and 50's, and like the look of the events we do.

I don't have internet access - can I still join?

Although we meet in person at real venues and events, Social Buddies is run entirely through the internet for simplicity. You will need regular internet access to use the Calendar, which is the central hub of operations, as well as receive regular emails, reminders and updates on events. Occasionally people without their own internet access have joined us by relying on a friend's for this instead, but generally people find this makes it quite difficult to take part in the life of the group.  

Can non-members attend events?

Social Buddies is a membership group - people can enjoy the great service we offer in return for paying a membership fee to cover the costs of providing the service. But we recognise that sometimes people may want to come along to an event before deciding to join, so there are several ways of making this possible:-

Non-members are welcome to attend our Open Pub Meet or Open Cafe Meet each month. Look at the Current Events List to see when this is. Non-members can also join for a three month trial, on payment of the appropriate fee, and come to as many events as you like during this time.

Members also receive free Guest Passes with their membership, as part of their membership benefits, which allows them to bring a guest to an event in any 3 monthly period. Finally, do look out for any special guest offers which might happen from time to time.

Can we join as a couple?

Most of the people in the group are single, but it is fine for couples to join too. It would be best to access the Members Area (the Yahoo Group) with one shared Yahoo ID, otherwise you'll be getting every message twice. When it comes to our membership application form (see Join this Group), there is a category for Joint Membership, which works out cheaper than two Individual Memberships. (Please note that there is no Joint Membership category for Founder Members as Founder Member rates are already such good value.)

So how do I join, exactly?

Because we have simple systems at present, it needs human beings to join up the dots a little, but this all adds to the charm of our systems.

Four things to do: 1: send off your completed application form 2: pay your membership fee using the online payments facility 3: apply for access to the online Members Area of the group or use the 'Invite', emailed on receipt of your application form, to gain entry 4: get a Yahoo Groups ID. See Join Us for more details.

VERY IMPORTANT: Yahoo will automatically set you up with a yahoo email address. You need to change this manually afterwards to your regular email address, or add the yahoo address to your email programme, otherwise you won't get any of the information from the group!

Do I have to arrange any events myself?

In a word - no! It's all done for you. Around 15+ events a month are researched personally for the group, which maintains a sense of consistency in what is on offer. However, it is fine to make suggestions about events you would like to see on the calendar. And seasoned members may, if they wish, offer themselves as voluntary event hosts or even arrange and host an event, under our wing. This can be a good way of finding others in the group to go to an event you're keen on. Come and talk to us, if this is of interest to you.

I have joined the group but I'm not getting any updates or messages

If this is the case, you've not probably set your Yahoo ID up correctly. Click here for a description of what might have gone wrong. At the bottom of this page you can access screen shots of the Yahoo ID registration form, or of Yahoo's 'Edit Membership' screens.

I am a member of Social Buddies but have lost my internet access

People can sometimes lose their internet access for a short period due to computer problems, changing broadband provider, and so on. In those situations, we can go the extra mile for a short period to keep members in the loop by post and text until you're up and running again. Send me some SAEs (one per month) and I will post you the monthly events list. Let me know by text which events you're coming to, and I'll put you on the calendar myself.

I don't have a car, so I can't get to some of the events

We can often arrange a lift share with one of the members of the group. For longer distances, it is good practice to offer to share fuel costs - a simple guide to what to offer is in the members area of the website (have a look in the Files section)

I'm having problems logging onto Yahoo or using the Members Only site

Have a look at some of the information contained in this FAQ section, which might help. Failing that, contact Jacky for one-to-one help: 07796 904473 or events@socialbuddies.co.uk

We now have the facility to sort out computer issues (within the limits of our knowledge!) using a remote viewing module TeamViewer. Once we've arranged for a time to arrange access, click on the button below, and download the software. I can then take remote control of your screen and help you through any intricacies of our systems that might be baffling.

The software does not give me access to secure parts of your system, just the parts we need to get sorted.