--- title: ARA Annual Conference 2025 | Bristol, UK description: We proudly exhibited at the ARA Annual Conference 2025 in Bristol, and revealed our three TWA Digitisation Grant 2025 winners live at the event! image: https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/hubfs/Blog%20Header%20Image%20(73).jpg --- [![TownsWeb-Archiving-Logo-Black-Stacked](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/TownsWeb-Archiving-Logo-Black-Stacked.png?width=260&name=TownsWeb-Archiving-Logo-Black-Stacked.png)](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/) [![TownsWeb-Archiving-Logo-Black-Stacked](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/TownsWeb-Archiving-Logo-Black-Stacked.png?width=260&name=TownsWeb-Archiving-Logo-Black-Stacked.png)](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/) [![USE QUOTE CALCULATOR](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2351684/56d4945e-1152-47db-9f08-37cd61531382.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2351684/56d4945e-1152-47db-9f08-37cd61531382) - [Digitisation](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/) - [Bound Volume Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/bound-volume-collections/) - Registers, guard books, journals, diaries and more - [Archive Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/archive-collections/) - From index cards, maps, posters and reports to letters - [Photograph Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/photograph-collections/) - All 35mm slides, glass plates, transparencies & photos - [Film Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/film-collections/) - Including aperture cards, microfilm and microfiche - [Audio Visual Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/audio-visual-collections/) - From Betamax, compact audio cassette and CD to VHS - [3-Dimensional Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/3-dimensional-collections/) - Including 3D and 2D object photography and VR tours - [Data Capture](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/datacapture/) - [Audio Visual Transcription](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/datacapture/audio-transcription/) - Make audio searchable by transcribing content to text - [Handwritten Text Recognition](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/datacapture/handwritten-text-recognition-htr/) - Make handwritten text searchable through automatic text recognition - [Optical Character Recognition](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/ocr-scanning-service/) - Make typed text searchable with accurate data capture - [Data Entry](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/datacapture/data-entry/) - Make ambiguous records fully searchable with data entry - [Handwritten Transcription](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/metadata-transcription-service/) - Make handwritten text searchable through transcription - [Publishing](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/publishing/) - [Digital Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/archive-management-software/pastview/welcome-to-pastview) - Manage, publish and share digital collections online - [Digital Records](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/archive-management-software/chronicle-cemetery-management/) - Reimagine the digital management of cemetery records - [Virtual Tours](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/virtual-reality-tour/) - Bring internal spaces to life digitally with a VR Tour - [Industry](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/) - [Academic](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/academic/) - Futureproof education with digitally enabling online resources - [Bereavement Services](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/bereavement/) - Counter operational costs with digital control and management - [Business and Corporate](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/business-and-corporate/) - Protect brand value & discover the power of digital management - [Cultural Heritage](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/cultural-heritage/) - Harness the value of collections with financial autonomy - [Public Sector](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/public-sector/) - Combat damage and loss with robust digital duplicates - [Military](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/military/) - Respectfully and globally mark significant figures and conflicts - [About](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/about) - [Our Vision & Mission](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/about-us#vision-mission) - Supporting collections to thrive in the digital landscape - [Our Values](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/about-us#values) - Integrity, Empathy and Truth – Our commitment to you - [Meet The Team](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/about-us#team) - Dedication with a personal touch – names and faces! - [Careers](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/recruitment/) - Passionate about culture and heritage? Join the team! - [TWA Digitisation Grant History](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation-funding-grant/grant-history/) - From our very first winners to our latest success stories - [Partners](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/partners) - Trusted organisations offering associated services - [Our Work](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/our-work) - [Blog](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/) - [Contact](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/contact/) [![USE QUOTE CALCULATOR](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2351684/56d4945e-1152-47db-9f08-37cd61531382.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2351684/56d4945e-1152-47db-9f08-37cd61531382) [![TownsWeb-Archiving-Logo-Black-Stacked](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/TownsWeb-Archiving-Logo-Black-Stacked.png?width=260&name=TownsWeb-Archiving-Logo-Black-Stacked.png)](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/) - [Digitisation](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/) - [Bound Volume Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/bound-volume-collections/) - Registers, guard books, journals, diaries and more - [Archive Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/archive-collections/) - From index cards, maps, posters and reports to letters - [Photograph Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/photograph-collections/) - All 35mm slides, glass plates, transparencies & photos - [Film Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/film-collections/) - Including aperture cards, microfilm and microfiche - [Audio Visual Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/audio-visual-collections/) - From Betamax, compact audio cassette and CD to VHS - [3-Dimensional Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation/3-dimensional-collections/) - Including 3D and 2D object photography and VR tours - [Data Capture](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/datacapture/) - [Audio Visual Transcription](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/datacapture/audio-transcription/) - Make audio searchable by transcribing content to text - [Handwritten Text Recognition](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/datacapture/handwritten-text-recognition-htr/) - Make handwritten text searchable through automatic text recognition - [Optical Character Recognition](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/ocr-scanning-service/) - Make typed text searchable with accurate data capture - [Data Entry](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/datacapture/data-entry/) - Make ambiguous records fully searchable with data entry - [Handwritten Transcription](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/metadata-transcription-service/) - Make handwritten text searchable through transcription - [Publishing](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/publishing/) - [Digital Collections](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/archive-management-software/pastview/welcome-to-pastview) - Manage, publish and share digital collections online - [Digital Records](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/archive-management-software/chronicle-cemetery-management/) - Reimagine the digital management of cemetery records - [Virtual Tours](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/virtual-reality-tour/) - Bring internal spaces to life digitally with a VR Tour - [Industry](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/) - [Academic](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/academic/) - Futureproof education with digitally enabling online resources - [Bereavement Services](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/bereavement/) - Counter operational costs with digital control and management - [Business and Corporate](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/business-and-corporate/) - Protect brand value & discover the power of digital management - [Cultural Heritage](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/cultural-heritage/) - Harness the value of collections with financial autonomy - [Public Sector](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/public-sector/) - Combat damage and loss with robust digital duplicates - [Military](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/industry/military/) - Respectfully and globally mark significant figures and conflicts - [About](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/about) - [Our Vision & Mission](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/about-us#vision-mission) - Supporting collections to thrive in the digital landscape - [Our Values](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/about-us#values) - Integrity, Empathy and Truth – Our commitment to you - [Meet The Team](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/about-us#team) - Dedication with a personal touch – names and faces! - [Careers](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/recruitment/) - Passionate about culture and heritage? Join the team! - [TWA Digitisation Grant History](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation-funding-grant/grant-history/) - From our very first winners to our latest success stories - [Partners](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/partners) - Trusted organisations offering associated services - [Our Work](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/our-work) - [Blog](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/) - [Contact](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/contact/) [Home](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/) » ARA Annual Conference 2025 | Bristol, UK ## Subscribe to the TownsWeb Archiving blog Curated articles, news and advice on digitisation, archives and creating open access to digital cultural heritage. [Subscribe Here](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/email-newsletter-sign-up-form/) --- ### Share this article: - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/ara-annual-conference-2025-bristol) [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/ara-annual-conference-2025-bristol) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/ara-annual-conference-2025-bristol) # ARA Annual Conference 2025 | Bristol, UK | **Published By:** [Paul Marks](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/author/paul-marks) **Published:** September 2, 2025 **Last Updated:** October 31, 2025 | | --- | ![Blog Header Image (73)](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Header%20Image%20(73).jpg?width=789&height=457&name=Blog%20Header%20Image%20(73).jpg) # 2025 Annual Conference of the ARCHIVES & RECORDS Association.   We were proud to exhibit at the Archives and Records Association’s first-ever hybrid Conference, held in the vibrant city of Bristol. With the theme *“Next Generation: Innovation and Imagination in Recordkeeping,”* this year’s event brought together professionals, visionaries, and changemakers from across the sector to explore how we can shape a more inclusive, sustainable, and forward-thinking future for archives and records. ![](https://2351684.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/2351684/hubfs/2-Sep-02-2025-01-09-06-0086-PM.jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=2-Sep-02-2025-01-09-06-0086-PM.jpg)   TownsWeb Archiving was delighted to be part of the exhibition floor, where our stand became a hub for conversation, curiosity, and collaboration. We connected with archivists, records managers, and heritage professionals to discuss the latest in digitisation technology, preservation strategies, and how digital access can empower communities and institutions alike. ![](https://2351684.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/2351684/hubfs/4-Sep-02-2025-01-07-35-6068-PM.jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=4-Sep-02-2025-01-07-35-6068-PM.jpg) ![](https://2351684.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/2351684/hubfs/1-Sep-02-2025-01-10-04-1938-PM.jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=1-Sep-02-2025-01-10-04-1938-PM.jpg)   ## Announcing The TWA Digitisation Grant 2025 Winners One of the highlights of our time at the conference was the announcement of the three winners of the TWA Digitisation Grant 2025 - an initiative designed to support organisations in unlocking the potential of their collections through digitisation. The announcement was hosted by Casper Smithson, our Chief Operating Officer, alongside John Chambers, Chief Executive of the Archives and Records Association and one of this year’s grant judges, and John Wallace, Account Manager at TownsWeb.    ## So, Who Are The Winners? We were thrilled to announce the three winners of our 2025 TWA Digitisation Grant, who are: - [University of Essex](https://www.essex.ac.uk/) - [The Fusilier Museum](https://www.fusiliermuseum.com/) - [Glyndebourne](https://www.glyndebourne.com/) Read more about our three winners and their successful applications [here](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/twa-digitisation-grant-2025-winners-announcement). Huge congratulations to our three winners! We were inspired by the calibre of applications received this year and deeply moved by the stories behind the collections. From community archives to institutional treasures, the winners demonstrated how digitisation can illuminate hidden histories, foster accessibility, and preserve cultural heritage for generations to come. The announcement was also live streamed via our [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@Townswebarchivingltd/streams), and you can watch the recording below: [![Watch now on YouTube](https://2351684.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/2351684/hubfs/Watch%20now%20on%20YouTube.jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=Watch%20now%20on%20YouTube.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThkTd8eg_50) **Watch the winners announcement, recorded live at the ARA Conference 2025.** ## Our ARA Prize Draw Winner! We were delighted to run a prize draw during the ARA conference and want to thank everyone who took part. We’re pleased to announce that the winner is: - [Fran Tate](https://www.linkedin.com/in/francescatate94/), Assistant Archivist at the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple! Congratulations, Fran! We hope you enjoy your prize of a luxury M&S hamper, and thank you once again to everyone who entered. *(Watch our live draw video [here](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/townsweb-archiving-ltd_we-were-pleased-to-run-a-prize-draw-during-activity-7369000977393147904-PNZE?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABy4HnEBlOa9QUQZlPUmu6uUGV3h7COY4oQ)).* As we reflect on our time at the ARA 2025 Conference, we’re energised by the conversations we had, the ideas we exchanged, and the future we’re helping to build together. Whether through grants, partnerships, or innovation in digitisation, TownsWeb Archiving remains dedicated to empowering the next generation of recordkeepers. Following the winners announcement, our [Match Funding Pot](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/twa-digitisation-grant-2025-match-funding-pot) opened, closing on 10th October 2025. For every eligible application received, £500 has been added to our pot. Once open, eligible applicants can request matched funding - meaning we’ll double any amount contributed by yourselves, up to £1,000 *(e.g. contribute £1,000, receive £1,000 from us).*   Congratulations again to our three winners, we're very much looking forward to working on your digitisation projects!   [![](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/hubfs/TWA%20March%202019/Images/phone-small-icon.png)CALL US 01536 713834](tel:01536%20713834) [tel:01536%20713834](tel:01536%20713834) [![](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/hubfs/TWA%20March%202019/Images/quote-small-icon.png)REQUEST A FREE QUOTATION](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/contact/) [![](https://blog.townswebarchiving.com/hubfs/TWA%20March%202019/Images/calculator.png)USE OUR ONLINE QUOTE CALCULATOR](https://www.townswebarchiving.com/digitisation-quote-calculator-sign-up/) ### Explore recent articles ## Keep up to date Sign up to our newsletter and be the first to know about the latest cultural heritage news and updates. 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