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At Concept, we don't just provide amazing IT Support and IT Services to businesses in the North East of England, we also like to share some of our knowledge and experience whilst providing guidance & insight.  Here you will find the latest information, advice and news from Concept.  If there are any topics you would like us to cover, please get in touch.  

13 September 2021
Hospice harnesses the power of VR to raise funds

Times were tough for charities over the course of the pandemic, as their usual methods of fundraising were curtailed due to lockdowns and social distancing regulations.

However, we’re delighted that one of our clients, Alice House Hospice, has come up with an ingenious way to raise essential funds – their own virtual reality centre!

The hospice has launched the suite, called NEVRlabs (North East Virtual Reality Labs), in Park Towers, Hartlepool, and offers gaming experiences through virtual reality, PCs and consoles.

The idea for the centre, which focuses on entertainment, fitness, wellbeing, esports, training and education, came after staff at the hospice identified the need to find new ways of fundraising to engage with a range of audiences, with a particular focus on young people.

Sandra Britten, deputy chief executive of Alice House Hospice, said: “During the pandemic, most of our usual fundraising events and activities were either impossible or severely compromised. Thankfully we received enough extra support and funding to get us through the crisis, but we knew that this could not last forever.

“We used some of the time that we had to develop this new business, which was designed with COVID safety measures in place.

“The result is NEVRlabs, which is open to the public to raise money for the hospice, as well as being used by our residents for therapy.”

Leon Penberthy, VR supervisor at NEVRlabs, added: “Our VR suites allow local gamers to hold back a horde of zombies, skydive from space or take a virtual vacation, and we can’t wait to welcome them to the centre.”

We’re always looking to go the extra mile for our clients, so to help with this amazing project, we installed the network free of charge.

Kevin Embleton, managing director of Concept IT, said: “We’ve worked with Alice House for a number of years now, and we’re in awe of the work they do.

“The staff are always looking for new and innovative ways to support their residents; over lockdown, we helped them install Facebook Portals to allow families to keep in touch, and with their own virtual reality centre, they’ll be able to do so much more, as well as raising money.”

The team from NEVRlabs are also working with the hospice’s patients, offering experiences including international travel, driving a racing car and going to space, that would otherwise be unavailable to them, all from the comfort of their own rooms.

Sandra added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us. Hospices must adapt in order to survive, and working with cutting-edge technology will allow us to continue to raise funds, as well as providing a valuable resource for local people.”

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