Karyn Williamson is Digital Preservation Specialist at the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC)
What is the Global Ambassador Programme?
The Global Ambassador Programme was established to support the adoption and use of the Digital Preservation Toolkit for Community Archives.
The Digital Preservation Toolkit was developed to help community groups manage and preserve their digital collections. Following its launch, feedback highlighted that many groups would benefit from additional support to implement the toolkit's recommendations and build sustainable digital preservation practices.
It became clear that this support would be most effective when provided by established cultural heritage organisations that understand the needs and challenges of their local communities. However, many organisations reported that they lacked the confidence, knowledge, or training skills needed to provide this support effectively.
The Global Ambassador Programme addresses this need by providing practical guidance, training resources, and support materials for established cultural heritage organisations. These resources help organisations understand the toolkit, promote its use, and work with community groups to preserve local heritage for future generations.
The programme was launched in October 2025, and a pilot project was established to invite organisations to become Global Ambassadors and review the draft Global Ambassador Toolkit.
The Pilot Project
The pilot project has been running for the past year, allowing participants to test the resources and provide feedback before their wider release.
We would like to thank everyone who took part in the pilot programme. The pilot phase has now concluded, and we have received a wide range of valuable feedback, comments, and suggestions. This feedback will help ensure that the final toolkit is practical, effective, and responsive to the needs of both cultural heritage organisations and community groups.
Next Steps
We are now reviewing the feedback and using it to develop the final version of the Global Ambassador Toolkit.
The Global Ambassador Programme will be fully launched worldwide in December 2026 and will be open to both DPC members and non-members. Registration to become a Global Ambassador will also open via the DPC website in December and established cultural heritage organisations will be encouraged to take part in and use the programme to support community groups in their regions.
By building a global network of ambassadors, we hope to expand access to digital preservation expertise and strengthen the preservation of community heritage worldwide.
For more information, or if you have any questions about the programme, please contact Karyn Williamson at Karyn.Williamson@dpconline.org.