Care home residents immerse themselves in Tyne Bridge virtual reality tour

Residents of Alexandra House and Orchard Mews were the first to experience the VR tour which takes viewers on a journey through the bridge’s history.

Residents are immersed in the brand-new virtual reality tour.

Residents of two care homes in Newcastle and Gateshead have been the first to try out a brand-new and exciting virtual reality (VR) experience based on the Tyne Bridge.

Watched through a VR headset, the one-of-a-kind tour immerses viewers into the history of the iconic North East landmark through 360-degree footage and archive content from over the years. It features a local TV presenter who narrates the tour and discusses some of the bridge’s important historical moments, right up to present day.

A collaboration between Esh Construction, Radius and VR Care has enabled the VR tour to be produced as part of the major restoration of the Tyne Bridge which got underway earlier this year.

Around 12 residents from Alexandra House Care Home in Gateshead and Orchard Mews Care Home in Benwell – the two closest residential homes to the bridge – took part in an enriching session which saw them reminisce and share their memories of the Tyne Bridge, River Tyne and surrounding areas.

One resident commented: “Wow, it feels like I’m flying, I’m currently over St. James’ Park and I can see a kittiwake flying right in-front of me, it’s flying down to the Tyne Bridge.” Another was transported back to their time as a youngster, saying: “I moved away when I was five or six-year-old but I used to come and stay in Newcastle with my grandparents in the holidays. I remember knowing I was home once I saw the bridge.”

Esh Construction’s Social Value Manager, Kate Marshall, is overseeing the community engagement as part of the restoration project and described the VR tour as a unique opportunity that provides something different for locals and tourists alike.

She said: “The Tyne Bridge is approaching its 100th birthday and developing this experience as part of the restoration programme provides a great way for people to learn more about its rich history. Residents of local care homes are likely to have their own stories to share from across the years, so Alexandra House and Orchard Mews seemed the perfect place to visit first. A special thank you to VR Care and Radius for helping fund and produce such a valuable resource.”

The tour was produced by Mark Kendrick, founder of VR Care, who has been delivering VR in care homes and hospices since 2019. He said: “We have found that 360-degree video experiences are a great way for residents to get up close to nature, go on city tours and look around places of interest. The Tyne Bridge VR Tour has been a great project for us, using new VR filmmaking techniques to combine green screen filming to superimpose a TV presenter inside a VR Tour of a landmark and utilising Google Earth Studio to create a VR flyover the River Tyne so that residents feel like they are flying over Newcastle and Gateshead. It was great seeing the reactions of care home residents on the launch of the VR tour, and more importantly, seeing the positive and meaningful conversations that were had in a group activity.”

Jessica Lawrence, Senior Marketing Manager for Radius’ Telecoms and IT business, who helped facilitate the VR project, said: “We are delighted to collaborate on this initiative, delivering care-enriching technology solutions to organisations like Alexandra House and Orchard Mews. At Radius, we are passionate about improving lives through innovative technology, and working alongside Esh Construction and VR Care has allowed us to bring this experience to fruition. It’s incredibly rewarding to see how these immersive VR experiences can spark memories, create meaningful connections, and enrich the lives of residents. We are proud to be part of a project that celebrates the Tyne Bridge, a beloved and iconic part of the city’s history.”

The restoration of the Tyne Bridge is being delivered by Esh Construction on behalf of Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council using funding from the UK Government and both councils.

Members of the public will be able to experience the VR Tour in the Tyne Bridge Information Hub which is set to open soon in Newcastle. Any residential homes who would be interested in a bespoke sessions for residents, can get in touch with the team.