'Augmented' reality beermats help hospice spread the word

BLUEBELL Wood Children’s Hospice is using hi-tech ‘augmented reality’  to help with fund-raising and spread the word about its work.

The hospice has team up with Rother Print to produce special beermats printed with a unique image.

Smartphone users can use a free app called Layar to scan the beermats, which will then let the user visit the hospice’s website and donate online.

Rother Print’s Matthew Wilkinson said the technology allowed people to interact with print and the internet at the same time.

“As well as being a very inexpensive advertising medium, it’s also great fun to use,”  he said.

The firm donated 500 beer mats and landlady Charlotte Buckingham already has them on her tables and bar at the Travellers Rest, Brookhouse.

“They have been a real talking point,” she said. “We’ve seen many customers interacting and having a play with them.

“It was particularly nice to hear a discussion about the hospice and the fantastic work they do and I feel the beer mats have provoked an excellent response.”

Bluebell Wood chief executive Sarah Champion said: “This is a fantastic new way of interacting with us and our website, and as far as we know we are the only charity in the UK using augmented reality.

“We are extremely grateful to Rother Print for enabling us to trial this technology so we can see if it has a significant impact on our fund-raising and awareness.”

The beer mats will also be trialled in other pubs. Landlords can request their own supply on 01909 517365.