London Social Enterprise Apax Wins Prestigious National Award for VR Wellness Innovation | London TV

Why a few calm minutes each day can help people feel steadier, more hopeful and more in control

On 24 March 2025, London TV reported that the VR Wellness Programme by Apax, a supported housing social enterprise in Sydenham, South East London, had won the Development and Innovation category at the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards 2025. The news was a happy moment for residents and staff alike. That recognition belongs to many people, not least the residents themselves.

Behind the headline sits a simple idea that is easy to overlook. How a person feels from one hour to the next shapes almost everything else, from keeping appointments to trusting others and planning for tomorrow.

What London TV Reported

London TV described the programme as combining immersive guided meditation with AI coaching. It is offered to people facing homelessness, depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges, It is offered to people facing homelessness, depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges..

The article set out three aims: improving emotional regulation, reducing symptoms of depression and fostering resilience. Together, it said, these help people on their journey towards independence and stability.

The piece paid particular attention to what immersive environments can offer, naming mental health, daily mood management and autonomy.

Understanding Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation is the everyday skill of noticing a feeling and responding to it without being swept away. Most of us learn it gradually, through steady relationships and safe places where strong emotions can settle.

For someone who has lived through homelessness or long periods of stress, those safe places may have been scarce. Feelings can arrive quickly and linger, making ordinary decisions feel much harder than they should. Even ordinary frustrations can feel much bigger when there has been little chance to rest.

None of this is a personal failing. It is a natural response to difficult circumstances, and with patience and the right support it can change. Calm, like confidence, is something that can be practised.

Why Daily Mood Matters

Mood is rarely dramatic. More often it is the quiet background to a day, colouring whether a letter gets opened, a phone call gets returned or a conversation with a neighbour feels possible. It is easy to miss, yet it touches almost every part of daily life.

When mood is low or unsettled, small tasks can pile up and begin to feel overwhelming. When it lifts, even a little, the same tasks can seem manageable again. That is why daily mood deserves attention.

Managing a tenancy, building routines and preparing for independent living all depend on having enough steadiness to take the next step. A better morning can make a better afternoon far more likely.

Moments of Calm, Made Possible

Immersive guided meditation offers a short break from noise and worry. Wearing a headset, a person can spend a few minutes in a peaceful scene, guided gently through breathing and reflection at their own pace. There is nothing to achieve and nothing to get right, only space to settle.

The AI coaching element adds a further layer of guidance, helping each session feel more personal. Our wider article on virtual reality applications for mental health and wellness explores the technology itself in more depth.

The value lies less in the headset than in what follows. A calmer mind can make room for a conversation, a plan or simply a more restful evening, and those moments add up over time.

Autonomy and Choice

London TV linked the programme to autonomy, and that connection matters. Tools for calm are most useful when people can choose them for themselves, rather than feeling that something is being imposed on them.

Knowing that there is something you can do when anxiety rises is empowering in itself. It shifts the feeling from being at the mercy of a bad day to having a little more say in how it unfolds. Choice itself can be a source of steadiness.

Over time, that sense of control can spread into other areas of life. People who feel more able to manage their emotions may also feel more able to manage their homes, their money and their relationships.

What Markel Said

Neil Galjaard, divisional managing director at Markel, said that since its implementation the programme had “boosted mood, increased engagement and motivation”. He also spoke of improved outcomes for both residents and staff.

Those words matter because mood and motivation are exactly where emotional regulation shows itself day to day. They are signs that a person has a little more energy for the things that matter to them.

Apax is grateful to Markel, Care Management Matters and the National Care Forum, who together make the awards possible, and to the residents who have embraced the programme and helped it grow.

Calm as a Starting Point

Calm is not a cure for every difficulty, and no single programme holds all the answers. Yet small, regular moments of peace can give people a firmer footing from which to face whatever lies ahead.

Listening to residents about what helps them feel settled will continue to guide the work. Their experience is the most reliable guide to what makes a real difference from one day to the next.

You can read the full story, including comments from Apax and Markel, in London TV: London social enterprise wins prestigious national award.