GlobalWelsh, an independent not-for-profit focused on connecting and engaging the Welsh diaspora, today announces that it has launched Connect. A brand-new online community engagement platform to bring together Welsh people, and those with an affinity for Wales, located all over the world. The platform is available online via web browser with a mobile app due to launch soon.

GlobalWelsh currently has an active global community of members in 47 countries. The new platform will host this growing community and provide members with the tools to engage, reach our, support and share with one another as well participate in other GlobalWelsh initiatives and events. The platform is free to join and members can choose from a selection of paid membership packages offering enhanced features and benefits, depending on the desired level of engagement.

Through membership, the new platform will also help the not-for-profit community interest company (CIC) move towards a more sustainable business model. All funds generated through the platform will be reinvested to support and add value to its members via GlobalWelsh initiatives focused on engaging the Welsh diaspora through inward investment; international trade; thought leadership; mentorship; and global networking.

New memberships include a discounted membership for young people aged 18-24 to help them stay better connected to Wales, and other members locally and globally, should they leave Wales for education, career or travel opportunities. GlobalWelsh is also working on more business-focused memberships, for business founders and leaders in Wales and around the world, which will offer additional benefits focused on business growth support for start-ups and scale-ups.

GlobalWelsh is thought to be the first diaspora organisation to launch a global online community engagement platform focused on connecting a country to its diaspora, with others expected to follow suit soon. Walter May, founder and CEO of GlobalWelsh, said:

“Our focus is not only to uncover where the Welsh diaspora are but to engage with them and, most importantly, enable them to engage with each other in meaningful ways. After two years of steady community building, Connect is the vehicle to everyone together.

‘Diaspora engagement has been proven time and time again as an essential mechanism in helping countries, like Ireland, Portugal and New Zealand, to increase their GVA, their international presence and their global identity. With the help of our community and the new Connect platform, we have the right programmes and people in place to scale up our impact in Wales and around the world.”

The platform has been built in partnership with leading SaaS solution for community management and engagement, HiveBrite. Established in 2015, HiveBrite is used by 400 organisations and universities in over 40 countries and recently completed a $20m Series A funding round to invest in global expansion and product innovation. Walter May said:

“As a not-for-profit reliant on donations, this is a significant and important investment for us and we spent much time researching the market to find the right solution for us as a business and the GlobalWelsh community. We believe HiveBrite is unrivalled in terms of its functionality and sophistication, it offers us an impressive selection of features and an exciting pipeline. We have been responsive to the needs of our members and we are confident that HiveBrite will enable us to deliver what our community has asked for, and more. We look forward to releasing additional features and functionality in the coming months, particularly around mentorship and international trade and investment.”

GlobalWelsh is currently offering annual membership packages at an introductory rate until 30th June 2020. For the full list of features, benefits and packages visit www.globalwelsh.com/connect