At BIPC Northants we are celebrating British Science Week with their theme this year of Smashing Stereotypes - British Science Week – celebrating the diverse people and careers in science & technology.
We talked to Rebecca Gill, Nurse & Founder of VR therapies this week who said the following:
“If I could smash one stereotype in STEM it would be that you need to be a certain gender, or from a certain background with a specific education. STEM makes ideas possible, so if you're curious about the world and how things work, how we can build things to make the world a better place, or how technology can really help people then STEM could be for you. It benefits from diversity and inclusivity as this helps bring new ideas and innovation to life in a way that really benefits people. It might seem daunting but if you can believe in yourself, other people will too.”
Rebecca is a learning disabilities nurse, and she left her job in 2018 to set up VR therapies. She was frustrated with the cuts to local services that made accessing even basic therapies such as physio very difficult within the NHS, yet also inspired by the amazing advances in technology. She strongly believes that the latest medical and therapeutic advances in technology should be available to the very people it is designed for – not just those already in the hospital, the rich or physically able. It should be available to those who would benefit most yet currently are the least likely to access it. So, she decided to do just that.
VR therapies is an innovative and unique social enterprise dedicated to utilising VR and immersive technology for children with special needs and adults with disabilities. Rebecca gets to take those who can't walk swimming with dolphins, children undergoing chemo flying through space, people with dementia down memory lane and help tick off bucket lists with people whose time is running out. The benefits are immediately apparent as people breathe easier, feel less pain, and smile more too. By providing a range of immersive and multisensory experiences, VR therapies can create innovative combinations of physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and more. The multisensory centre features are not only activity and sensory rooms but also a world-first combination of hydrotherapy and underwater VR so you feel like you are truly swimming with dolphins!
If you want to find out more about VR therapies, please visit their website- https://vrtherapies.co.uk
For British Science Week visit - https://www.britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-activities/smashing-stereotypes/
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