Meet the charities bringing virtual reality to life
Can you believe it's been over a year since lockdown restrictions first came into play? It has not been easy, but through the furloughs and funding gaps, the sector should be proud. An exercise in resilience, we love how charities have embraced the world of digital fundraising, and how organisations have made the shift from ‘disrupted’ to ‘disruptor’ - taking a risk and trying something new.
Because if not now, then when?
Over the course of this last year, we've explored the ins and outs of these digital turns. From emergency campaigns to virtual events, digital conferences and contactless donations, there has been a lot of ground to cover, and in this post we want to look at one more.
Virtual reality.
The benefit of an immersive experience
The origins of virtual reality aren't entirely clear, but we do know it was the combined ingenuity of Ivan Sutherland and his students, including Bob Sproull, in 1968 that brought us the first VR headset. Granted, it was so heavy it had to be hung from the ceiling, but the opportunity was clear - with the virtual reality industry soon providing VR devices for varied medical, flight, automotive and military purposes (thanks for the summary, Wikipedia!)
Who knew you would be able to add 'charity' to the list? But you can!
Virtual reality is an immersive experience, one in which the user is surrounded by an artificial world - similar, and at times completely different from, the one we see around us.
As well as being a fun and 'novel' experience, the accessibility of the virtual world brings huge potential, both in terms of fundraising and service delivery. In fact, research suggests that content viewed on a VR platform can increase empathy, a sense of responsibility, AND inspire people to donate money or volunteer. Perfect for fundraising, when it comes to communicating need, virtual reality makes it possible for charity donors and supporters to experience a world that would otherwise be hard for them to relate to.
Bringing virtual reality to life
Compared to traditional fundraising mechanisms, the idea of using virtual reality to support a charity fundraising campaign is reasonably new. Let's take WaterAid as an example. In 2016, the team launched Aftershock, their first virtual reality documentary. Putting viewers in the centre of Nepal, this innovative app uses the power of virtual reality to tell the story of Krishna Sunuwar, a 58-year-old plumber working to repair the community’s water system. All you need is a laptop and VR headset, and you can travel with Krishna through the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. A journey that takes you closer to the ‘need’ than you would ever think possible.
Then there’s the National Autistic Society. A colleague of ours volunteered with them as a befriender in university. I remember her saying how much she wanted to experience his world, to see things as he saw them, to experience everyday sights and sounds as he did. Now she can. In 2017 the team launched a new virtual reality experience, Too much information, to give people an insight into what life is like for those with autism. Set in a shopping centre, the sights and sounds jar, blink and bustle as 11-year old Alex waits for his mum to buy a ticket. It’s too much information to process and a moving insight into a world that, until now, we could but imagine.
Opening a world of virtual possibilities
But virtual reality isn’t just about fundraising and advocacy. We love that organisations like The National Trust have used VR technology to help bring tour experiences to people who would otherwise be unable to access them. In 2017 they teamed up with the award-winning agency, Nomensa to create a virtual tour that threw ‘the doors of their properties open to anyone, across the world’. Focussed on Killerton House in Devon, staff and user interviews allowed the team to create an authentic visit experience, viewable in 2D or with a 3D headset.
Fast forward to 2021 and we are excited to see other charities and non-profits exploring all that the virtual world has to offer. Last year, Cardiff University teamed up with innovation charity and foundation, NESTA, to help isolated people connect with art during COVID-19 restrictions. Moving beyond pure viewership, participants were invited to ‘visit’ virtual locations from the highs of mountain streams to the Caribbean coast – before writing, drawing, and sharing the words and images evoked by the experience.
Last but by no means least, we want to wrap up this piece by recognising Time Magazine invention winner, Virti, a virtual patient that recreates authentic medical scenarios for professional development and training. Founded by Dr Alex Young, a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon (and enthusiastic gamer) this inspired remote training tool is on a mission ‘to improve human performance by making experiential training affordable and accessible to everyone on the planet’. With research showing this VR-based approach to improve knowledge retention by 230%, it’s a trend that is catching on, and we are excited to see teams including the Bristol NHS Foundation Trust using the technology to deliver training during COVID-19.
There you have it. From the mountains of Nepal to virtual medical training, the role and potential of VR technology for charities and non-profits is huge. Whether it’s for fundraising, advocacy, education or lived experience, we are excited to see where the sector will take VR technology in the future. Watch this space!
