SilVR Adventures is proud to announce that, together with our partners, we have been named finalists three times across three categories at the 2025 Future of Ageing Awards. This year’s awards received a record number of entries, making our achievement as part of the shortlist especially meaningful.
It is not the first time SilVR Adventures has been recognised on this stage — we were honoured to win the Technology – Health & Wellbeing Award in 2020. Five years on, our continued presence as finalists demonstrates both the growing impact of VR in aged care and the dedication of our partners who bring these innovations to life.
What unites our three finalist projects is the use of VR not just as a technology, but as a tool for connection, inclusion, and wellbeing. Backed by peer-reviewed and published research, SilVR’s solution has been proven to enhance mood, spark social interaction, and increase physical engagement. In fact, independent research with Deakin University found that 92.9% of previously inactive residents moved during VR sessions, and 83.6% of socially inactive residents engaged in conversation. These findings reinforce what we continue to see across our partner programs — VR has the power to transform everyday life for older adults.
1. Community Engagement Finalist: Garden Village’s Virtual Voyagers
In Port Macquarie, Garden Village has pioneered Australia’s first intergenerational VR program, bringing together residents and secondary school students in a project called Virtual Voyagers.
Connection, empathy, and innovation come to life in Australia’s first Intergenerational VR Program
Through weekly VR adventures — from exploring the Acropolis to kayaking down French rivers — students and seniors connect, share stories, and take part in creative follow-up activities. The result is a powerful antidote to social isolation, addressing loneliness across both generations.
Resident Rex summed up the spirit of the program beautifully:
“Do you know what? I think I’m the happiest person in the world, because I got more out of this than everybody, I really did. And I thank you for inviting me to be part of this program. It was a joy to be included and experience being ‘young’ again.”
By using VR as a bridge between age groups, Virtual Voyagers shows how digital innovation can spark empathy, learning, and joy while building age-friendly communities.
Learn more about the program here: Bridging Generations and Winning Awards with Intergenerational VR at Garden Village
2. First Nations Communities Finalist: Medical & Aged Care Group Connecting Through Indigenous Stories
At Medical & Aged Care Group (MACG), VR is being used to support cultural inclusion and bring the outside world into the lives of residents. Launched in December 2024, the MACG x SilVR program has delivered more than 600+ immersive sessions, including Indigenous storytelling content co-designed to foster respect and connection.
(L-R) MACG resident Sam, and fellow residents enjoying SilVR’s Indigenous music, dance and storytelling content together
Residents have explored sacred Country, travelled to new lands, and enjoyed family-created 360° videos that bring cherished places directly into the home. Importantly, this program has also reached residents who are often hardest to engage — those living with dementia, limited mobility, or who prefer the privacy of their rooms.
As one wellbeing team member observed:
“VR is helping residents connect with places, cultures, and memories they thought were lost to them. It supports inclusion beautifully — whether it’s giving Indigenous residents a chance to revisit sacred Country, or offering those living with dementia calming, familiar landscapes from their youth.”
With MACG scaling this program across homes, the initiative demonstrates how immersive technology can be embedded sustainably within wellbeing frameworks to promote agency, inclusion, and reconciliation.
Read more about how MACG created custom VR content to meet the needs of individuals here: Families & Carers Become VR Content Creators For Loved Ones in Aged Care
3. Health & Wellbeing Finalist: Uniting’s Continuing to Be Me VR
The Continuing to Be Me (C2bMe) program, delivered by Uniting, supports older people living with mental health concerns in aged care and community settings. In 2025, C2bMe integrated VR through a partnership with SilVR Adventures — marking the first time VR has been embedded within a publicly funded aged care mental health program in Australia.
How Virtual Reality Helped Stephen Reconnect with South Africa – C2bMe and SilVR Adventures
By revisiting childhood towns, walking along beaches, or attending cultural festivals virtually, participants find joy and reconnection in ways that traditional therapy cannot always provide. Clinicians use these immersive experiences as a catalyst for reflection and engagement, particularly valuable for those living with depression, anxiety, or cognitive decline.
One clinician described the impact as transformative:
“It gives us a new language to communicate with — the language of experience, not just words.”
With strong outcomes, including increased therapeutic engagement and breakthroughs with clients who were previously resistant to therapy, C2bMe’s VR initiative demonstrates the role of immersive technology in advancing psychological wellbeing.
To read more about Uniting’s C2BMe program with SilVR, see here: Rediscovering Joy Through Virtual Reality: Stephen’s Journey Home with C2bMe
Looking Ahead
From intergenerational connection in Port Macquarie, to cultural inclusion at MACG homes, to therapeutic breakthroughs through C2bMe, these three projects showcase the breadth of what VR can achieve when implemented with care, creativity, and evidence.
SilVR Adventures is honoured to be a partner in each of these initiatives and proud to see them recognised on the national stage. To be named finalists in three separate categories is a testament not only to our technology, but to the vision and commitment of the providers we work alongside.
As we look to the Future of Ageing Awards ceremony in Sydney this November, we celebrate the progress made and remain committed to our mission: harnessing VR to bring joy, movement, and connection to older adults everywhere.
Explore the Research
The full study is available online via Springer Virtual Reality here:
🔗 Read the Article
Want to partner with us to bring VR into your aged care service? Contact us today to learn more.
