As a part of the promotion strategy of its new virtual reality (VR) app, The Guardianwill distribute 97,000 Google Cardboard headsets to UK readers along with select copies of the Guardian.

The app will be available for users on both iOS and Android devices for the first time and will include The Guardian’s VR experiences 'First Impressions' and 'Sea Prayer', a collaboration with UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Khaled Hosseini.

The Guardian is also set to introduce its new VR project, 'The Party' which gives users a 16 year-old autistic girl's Lucy Hawking's perception at her mother's surprise birthday party.

Francesca Panetta, executive editor, virtual reality, Guardian News and Media said: “The Guardian has always been at the forefront of digital innovation and since we launched our VR team a year ago we’ve created a series of immersive and impactful stories, marrying the Guardian’s experience of quality journalism with innovative storytelling.

“Through the launch of the Guardian VR app for Cardboard we’re pleased to be able to share the unique encounters we have created with more people than ever before, giving them the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective and enabling them to become fully immersed in the experience.”

To help the promotion, a specially created animation has also been released.