Meet the Team

We are a team of confident, happy, and professional individuals who care deeply about our work. Each Hawkwood team member embodies our core charity values: being curious, caring, collaborative, guest-centred, and respectful.

We pride ourselves on being a truly bottom-up organisation, where every team member has a voice in the direction of the charity. We hold monthly company-wide meetings to discuss our strategy and gather input from the entire team.

Our beautiful grounds & gardens offer a variety of spaces for relaxation, fun, or quiet time. We welcome anyone who shares our values, so please get in touch if Hawkwood sounds like the place for you.

Michael brings a wealth of experience with a background in education and the arts. He is currently the Chancellor of the University of Gloucestershire, alongside his roles as Senior Independent Director at RICS, and Chair of the National Trading Standards Council. Previously he was Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Arts in London, Chair of the National Audit Office, Chair of Shakespeare’s Globe, Chair of the Design Council, the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education and CEO of Gloucestershire County Council.

Megan Attwooll is a senior civil servant with extensive public sector experience. She is currently Deputy Finance Director at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, having also held a variety of central government roles in finance, policy and project delivery for programmes spanning Housing, Communities, Local Government and International Trade. She is a recognised leader within central government, having won the Government Finance Function award for ‘Leader of the Year’ in 2022 with acknowledgement of her inclusive leadership. 

Megan started her career in local government at the London Borough of Hackney where she became a fully qualified member of the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy. It was during her time at Hackney that she became passionate about the role of culture, civil society and the arts in enhancing places and communities. 

Although she has lived in London for many years, Megan grew up in Gloucestershire so has a keen interest in the region and is thrilled to be joining Hawkwood to support its mission both locally and nationally.

David has worked in the theatre and events industry for over 25yrs, managing and leading production teams on projects that have been presented across the UK and numerous countries beyond. 

For the best part of the last 10yrs he has been on the leadership team at Bristol Old Vic. This has included strategising the shape and structures of the Operations and Production departments and leading on all the necessary care and maintenance the building has required as a Grade 1 listed heritage site. This role has also included, sitting on the Building Committee and Exec groups for the major refurbishment project completed in 2018. 

With well over 150 professional productions behind him, David has worked on every scale of event from intimate and delicate performances through to major theatrical installations – even including a short diversion to help bring together the Historic Royal Palaces - Tower of London Poppy installation, Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red in 2014. 

He is committed to the support and growth of emerging talent, being instrumental in the writing of multi discipline traineeships and having also been a repeated and regular guest lecturer at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama across the last 20yrs. 

Ela has just completed a career in the NHS spanning over 30 years. Most recently she was the Director for Mental Health Services in the London boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, with joint responsibility for health and social care. Prior to this, she has worked locally, in London and at national level.  

Running her own company founded in 2005; CommotionUK focuses on promoting the principles of patient and public engagement in policy and decision-making. Most of her current work is focused in the USA. Ela has a deep understanding of issues related to inequality, being an immigrant herself, she understands the experience of difference, exclusion, welcome and integration. Her work both in and outside the NHS has been about recognising and celebrating difference but also challenging systems and processes to find answers to improve by bringing issues of diversity and inclusion into the centre of shaping what and how services are delivered and by whom. She continues to serve as a Lay member on CNWL NHS Foundation Trust’s Clinical Ethics committee. 

Ela has lived in Painswick for over 20 years and has served as Parish Councillor and School Governor. She says her values lie deeply rooted in the spirit of community leadership as owners, partners and vehicles of change and she is privileged to serve as a Trustee at Hawkwood.