Think about adding

• Your age (or rough age if you don’t want to specify)

• Your general location

• Any children or grandchildren you have

• Any pets you have

• Your hobbies and interests

• A random fact about yourself, like “I once did a skydive for charity”

Don’t forget to select your interests from the list too, as this is a quick way to see what people are interested in.

Click on a member’s profile and then click on the box to send a message.

Type your message - include a little bit about yourself and why you’d like to connect with them,  and click submit. They’ll be notified about the message via email.

If you don’t get a response or they don’t wish to connect, don’t worry. You can message more than one member, so just try again. Keep an eye on your inbox, as you’ll get a notification each time a new member joins in your area.

Ask questions of one another, share experiences and highlight any common ground or places where you might have differences that need to be covered if you move forward.

We recommend that your first meeting is in a public place like a cafe.

If you are a parent you might not want to take your child to the first meeting or first few meetings so you can get to know the GrandFriend first. If you are a GrandFriend be aware that this might happen - focus on getting to know the parent.

If you want to progress the relationship, you might like to sit down together and create an agreement that you all agree to. This might include boundaries you want to set, time commitments and other ground rules you’d like to lay down.

If that’s the case, it’s important to address it as soon as it becomes an issue. Before you decide to break the relationship completely, think about whether you could continue it with some changes. For example, if you are finding the time commitment is too much as you get older, talk about reducing the number of times you see each other.

If there is no other option, politely explain your situation and why it means you can no longer continue the relationship. If you don’t want to do this face-to-face, consider writing an email or sending a text.

Please report the message to us immediately by emailing info@grandfriends.nz. We take all reports seriously and will investigate to ensure the safety of all members.

Yes. The platform is mobile-friendly and works on most smartphones and tablets. Just open your browser and log in as usual

Upload either your ID documents or your CCH report to your account. To do this

Go to Settings

Go to Documents

Click on the buttons to upload your files

Click on Settings and in the General section, scroll to the bottom. Choose the file you want to upload in the Profile Picture section. Then click Update to save your changes.

Head to the login page, click Forgot Password and follow the instructions

Go to Settings. In the general section, fill in your Short and Long Bio. Your short bio is a snapshot that appears on your member profile. Your long bio appears if someone clicks on your details. Remember to click your interests too.

To update your bio go to Settings and edit your information. Don’t forget to click update to save your changes.

Absolutely. Email us at info@grandfriends.nz, and we can guide you through setting up your profile and uploading your documents.

You could also try your local library or see if there’s a digital support group in your local area.