Sanctuary Housing London held an event with a twist on modern-day speed dating – in a bid to find that perfect partner or two.

Sanctuary entertained almost 50 guests at its speed networking event on Thursday February 15 at the Institute of Directors, Waterloo Room in Pall Mall, London. The ‘date’ was an opportunity to meet representatives from various housing associations, local authorities, property developers and businesses.

Sharon Standell, director of Sanctuary London, acted as host for the event, opening the proceedings with a speech and an explanation of the rules. The idea was simple – guests spent three minutes talking to someone they did not know about their organisation, role and the type of projects they were interested in before moving onto meet someone else at the sound of the whistle. Attendees enjoyed each other’s company and swapped contact details with numerous people with the aim of working together in the future.

Ms Standell said: "This was a first for Sanctuary London and a fantastic success. Some guests clearly arrived not knowing what to expect but everyone quickly entered into the spirit of the event and made some great contacts for future projects and initiatives. As Sanctuary goes from strength to strength, it is great to know how many partners we have to face the challenges ahead."

In all, eighteen rounds of speed networking were carried out before ending with some time to mingle and socialise. There were drinks and canapés, including strawberries dipped in chocolate and passion fruit tartlets as it was the night after Valentine's Day.