The National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced the launch of its new Digital Skills for Heritage initiative.

Highlighting that the new initiative will allow Heritage organisations to thrive in the digital era, using tech to attract the visitors and support they need, Head of Digital Policy, Josie Fraser, said: "Technology can help organisations punch above their weight, providing low cost ways to connect to communities and bring heritage to more people."

Digital Skills for Heritage is an advocacy initiative driving up digital capabilities across the heritage sector.

It will:

• promote digital skills and leadership


• directly support digital skills development

Additionally, we will be carrying out a benchmarking exercise across the sector to measure how digitally confident it is. Taking place in the first half of 2020, this will also help us identify and celebrate the great work happening already.

Heritage organisations are diverse, with widely varying needs, locations, sizes and levels of digital maturity, so our activities need to be diverse too.

Digital Skills for Heritage is therefore made up of several strands.

After an open and competitive process we have awarded two grants totalling nearly £500,000 to: 

• The Digital Heritage Lab, led by Arts Marketing Association 

• Heritage Digital, led by Heritage Alliance  

Their aim is to greatly increase the amount of free advice and support available to heritage organisations that already use digital. 

Their new 'Leading the Sector' courses will sponsor up to 30 executives, working within medium and large heritage organisations, to become digital leaders.

Up to two cohorts will take part in an innovative, structured learning programme delivered by Culture24.

Technology can help organisations punch above their weight, providing low cost ways to connect to communities and bring heritage to more people.