Wetwheels VR Launch
The Wetwheels Foundation is a charity that enables disabled people to drive powerboats. They have several wheelchair accessible vessels located throughout the UK. Lots of disabled people benefit from the experience every year. But when Covid prevented Wetwheels from taking to the water, Geoff asked Soundview to create a Wetwheels VR experience instead. The VR video captures the Wetwheels adventure, from the initial safety checks and boarding, to the acceleration as the boat enters the open ocean.
There is something very special about being on the water. For someone with a disability, being at sea offers unparalleled freedoms. Your mind and imagination fill with things that once didn’t seem possible. The VR version of this film is important because it opens up the on-water opportunity to anyone anywhere in the country, not just those who are able to go out on the water.” Geoff Holt MBE DL
Once we had created the VR experience, Geoff then organised the Wetwheels VR launch to maximise press coverage and reach as many people as he could. The launch was was a great success. Most importantly, the students and staff of Treloar College loved the VR with many commenting on how great it was to experience something new in a year when opportunities for adventure have been so limited.
The last year has been very challenging for many of our students. It’s wonderful for them to be the very first to try out the Wetwheels VR experience at its launch. We can see how they really enjoyed having such a fantastic time-even if they didn’t even leave our grounds!” Martin Ingram, Principal at Treloar College.
And because everyone loves a good news story, the launch made it onto lots of news channels, including ITV Meridian. Soundview were there too, with Gareth on hand to supply footage to the journalists.
A student at Trelour College trying out the VR
Blue Health Connecting with the Natural World through VR
Both the actual and VR Wetwheels experiences tie in with the latest research on the benefits of the natural environment on wellbeing. Recent research shows that, whether real world or through virtual reality, time spent in nature can boost health, and is particularly important for vulnerable people. Geoff has made the VR video available on YouTube. and hopefully the fantastic press coverage means that even more people will now be able to try it out. To find out about how we created the Wetwheels VR see our recent blog,
