The Local Action Group (LAG) AD ELO carried out a diagnosis of rural areas in the central region of Portugal that showed an increasing ageing population with low or no digital literacy, little physical activity, or participation in joint leisure activities, especially those in remote villages, living alone. 

The VirtuALL project was proposed to address these needs, focusing on the opportunities provided by social innovation and the latest technologies able to improve the quality of life of this population segment. 

VirtuALL was implemented in six municipalities simultaneously (Cantanhede, Figueira da Foz, Mealhada, Mira, Montemor-o-Velho and Penacova) in central Portugal, through the development of different tools and activities designed for the elderly population still living in their own homes, promoting their cognitive, physical and social activity.

The key objectives of the project were to adjust social and technological tools that were previously used in the context of academic research to the needs of the elderly population in Portuguese rural areas and to improve quality of life by promoting a more active and healthy ageing. 

VirtuALL further intends to boost social participation by improving the digital literacy of the elderly so they become more independent in using certain tools, which constitutes a significant generational barrier for most.

VirtuALL is developed through a coordinated strategy that involves the LAG AD ELO as the project promoter and different local municipalities, senior universities, private companies and social and solidarity organisations as 'social investors', a particular function in the Portuguese Social Innovation Programme. 

These actors contribute to the project in different ways such as making spaces available to host activities, sharing knowledge to develop tools, and engaging other stakeholders and beneficiaries. The activities started in 2019 in the six municipalities and can be divided into two phases. The first phase involved more than 1 000 elderly people who were given the opportunity to tackle cognitive and physical challenges, individually and in groups, using new technologies, including augmented reality, virtual reality and games adjusted to the audience by professionals in 2D and 3D. 

The second phase, targeted at formal and informal caregivers of elderly, consisted of several capacity-building activities, divided into 50 different actions, in which more than 700 people participated and learnt how to use the tools. Activities took place in spaces belonging to the municipalities, which were easy to reach. 

Given that many participants live in remote areas, the project carried out decentralised activities to reach them. Weak or no access to an internet connection was another barrier addressed by the project. 

The commitment of public and private organisations and bringing together different expertise and sources of funding have been key to provide the senior population in the six rural areas with a good-quality and engaging experience, thus tackling social and digital challenges through a non-conventional approach.

The project made substantial efforts to overcome financial constraints, such as the need to identify sources of co-funding of the grants obtained, which was achieved thanks to the mobilisation of investors by the LAG and the municipalities.

Since 2023, VirtuALL is being adapted and expanded to another 20 municipalities with the participation of the ADRACES, LEADER OESTE and ADIBER LAGs in a LEADER cooperation project.