Apocalyptic escape room raises money for local charity

A sell out virtual escape room, organised by University of Northampton students, supporting the Northamptonshire Association For The Blind has been heralded a great success.

With indoor activities banned, social distancing still in place, and many people unable to see friends and family in person, a team of four University of Northampton Events Management students teamed up with Northampton Association for the Blind (NAB) to create the virtual fundraising event.

Twenty-three people from across Northamptonshire battled to save the world and raise money for the Northamptonshire Association For The Blind, in this virtual escape room.

Through a series of problem-solving activities which tested teamwork and creative thinking, this virtual escape room was specially designed to enable blind and partially sighted people to take part in the whole experience.

Hugh Spence, Children and Families Support Worker at NAB, said: “The students organised a fabulous event, they put a lot of thought into the format to make it an inclusive event for those who are blind or partially sighted.

“The fundraising efforts by the students will support NAB to continue to provide advice, practical support, and products to help visually impaired people in Northamptonshire live life to the full. The NAB team are extremely thankful for their hard work and support with this event.”

The students, Dasha Gapitch, Helena Cuenca, Judit García, and Victoria Pshenchenko planned and designed the event, as well as creating the brain-teasing escape room activities. This fundraising event, which is part of their studies, is equivalent to a traditional dissertation.

Speaking about the event, student Victoria Pshenchenko said: “I’ve loved organising this fundraising event for NAB, and I’m pleased we’ve been able to raise money to support the charity’s important work. It has been a fantastic chance to put my academic skills into practice in the planning of the event, this opportunity was one of the things that attracted me to the course at Northampton.

“The pandemic and restrictions on events forced us as a group to be even more creative in planning our final event. I think that in the future the Events industry is going to embrace a blend of in-person, and virtual events, so this has been a fantastic way to develop my skills. As I start to look for a graduate job, this experience will help me to stand out from the other applicants.”