Lucy Penny

In 2023, I was privileged to be awarded the Our World Underwater Scholarship, spending a year developing my diving and medical skills and learning from ocean and medical experts. I became increasingly interested in ‘Blue Mind’ — the idea that being near, in, on or under water can influence how we feel and create a more meditative state. It started me thinking about whether some of that experience could be brought to people who couldn’t physically get to the sea. With the support of filmmakers, healthcare professionals and VR specialists, I founded Blue Bubble Immersive (BBI), a social enterprise bringing real ocean environments to children in hospital through immersive VR.

BBI is now being used in hospitals as a therapeutic distraction, supporting children through procedures while also giving them an opportunity to connect with the ocean. We are learning from the children, families and healthcare teams using it and exploring how immersive blue space could become a useful tool within healthcare.

Lucy Penny embodies the innovative, purpose-driven spirit the BEYOND Emerging Innovators programme celebrates. As Founder and Operations Lead of Blue Bubble Immersive, she has turned frontline clinical insight and her Our World Underwater Scholarship experience into a pioneering social enterprise, using virtual reality to bring the ocean’s calm to hospitalised children. Combining nursing expertise with a deep love of the sea, Lucy leads a multidisciplinary team creating child-centred immersive experiences that support patients, families and healthcare staff alike, while inspiring a new generation of ocean custodians.

Madeline Hall

Real Ideas Organisation

 

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