Garden Village Port Macquarie has been awarded an Australia Post Community Grant for the Virtual Voyagers intergenerational program — a unique initiative connecting older residents and local school students through shared experiences and virtual reality adventures.
The grant will deliver the 2026 program, which brings together Garden Village residents and students from Heritage Christian School for weekly sessions focused on storytelling, outdoor activities, and virtual travel.
The sessions include virtual travel experiences powered by SilVR Adventures, giving participants the chance to “visit” destinations together, share memories and learn new digital skills.
The Australia Post Community Grants program supports local community organisations across Australia to help people connect and stay mentally well. Australia Post is committed to help making mental health and wellbeing a part of everyday conversations and to build stronger, more connected communities.
The program is commencing in February 2026 and running for eight weeks. An information session for residents is being held in the community centre on Wednesday 19 November at 10:ooam.
This intergenerational project brings together senior residents from Garden Village in Port Macquarie, NSW and students aged 12–16 from Heritage Christian School. Over the school term, participants will meet weekly for 1.5-hour sessions held in community spaces, engaging in shared activities such as storytelling, outdoor experiences, digital skill-sharing and age-friendly initiatives. A key feature of the program is the use of VR headsets to enable virtual travel and immersive themed experiences, fostering empathy, connection, and mutual understanding.
The project is designed to reduce isolation, strengthen social bonds and improve mental health and wellbeing across generations—building a more inclusive, connected community.
The Virtual Voyagers program is locally led and co-designed by Garden Village, Heritage Christian School, Intergen Connect, and powered by SilVR Adventures. Sessions take place at community venues including Home at Roto House and Garden Village.
As Australia’s over 65 population is set to double over the next 30 years, projects like Virtual Voyagers are innovative and essential. While today’s young people are more digitally connected than ever, loneliness is on the rise. At the same time, one in four older Australians reports feeling socially isolated.
“We’re proud to lead the way using innovation to connect people of all ages,” said Craig Wearne, CEO Garden Village. “Residents have loved virtually exploring the world and we’re excited to take this journey even further.”
“By embedding SilVR Adventures into intergenerational learning, we’re positioning Port Macquarie on the map as a leader in Intergenerational Best Practice,” said Casey Baldwin, Founder of Intergen Connect.
Proudly supported by the Australia Post Community Grants.
