Team | Shurlandcastle

Our Team

A world-class team passionate about healing children, historic buildings and communities

Guided by elite architects, artists, and designers, Shurland Castle is transforming a historic landmark into an unparalleled sanctuary for healing. Rooted in a symbiotic vision: while nature provides a therapeutic haven for children, they in turn are empowered to become stewards, championing nature's rejuvenation

Lead Architect

Piers Gough CBE

Piers designed the Maggie’s Cancer centre in Nottingham (see left), working along side fashion designer Paul Smith. Piers is an award winning architect, esteemed for architectural feats including Mile End’s “banana bridge”, Janet Porter’s Clernkenwel Home and a major development mastermind around Arsenal Stadium.

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Landscape Architect

Rupert Muldoon

Rupert designed the award winning landscape-led designs for the Maggie’s Cancer Centre in Oldham (see left). He is on the landscape committee for Bedales School. Rupert is the co-founder of Meeuwsen Muldoon which has designed national sites such as Brunswick Gardens in London and Holland Military Museum.

Head of Creative Development

Lucy Ridley

Lucy, former Head of Creative Development at Secret Cinema, masterminded 20+ hit productions including Moulin Rouge, Stranger Things, Star Wars, and Dirty Dancing. With a background in dance at the Royal Opera House and expertise working with children and schools, she's a powerhouse of creativity.

Interior Design Visionary

Russell Sage

Russell designed the blossoming Maggie and Rose children clubs across London. He is perhaps better known for countless award winning hotels such as The Savoy, The Goring and Fife Arms art hotel. He has plenty of experience in historic buildings from parts of Buckingham Palace to Dover Castle.

Historical Architects

Martin Ashley

As conservation architect Martin recently completed the Sheerness Dockyard Church - an £8M+ restoration project of a large burnt out church into an inspirational young entrepreneurs workspace, close to Shurland Castle. Martin has undertaken extensive repairs at Hampton Court Palace and stonework restoration at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

Architectural Director (Sustainability)

Adam West

Adam leads the climate and biodiversity movement at CZWG architects and has been bringing exciting sustainability innovations to Shurland Castle. Adam has worked with Piers for 20 years and has been the lead on projects like the residential and arts complex at the heart of Southampton’s Cultural Quarter (see left picture).

Meet the Shurland Castle Trustees: a dynamic ensemble of seasoned professionals whose expertise spans the globe. Their backgrounds boast of steering premier therapeutic centers, launching and exiting successful enterprises, curating other significant historical estates, and driving global sustainability initiatives. As trustees and school governors, they possess mastery in sustainability, history, business strategy, project orchestration, community liaison, design, and finance. Together, they form the mosaic of excellence, strategic leadership and governance that is at the heart of Shurland Castle.

Tom Latchford, chair of trustees

Tom has 15 years in the charity sector as a trustee and tech entrepreneur. He was founder and CEO of Joyful (joyful.org), a platform that has generated tens of millions of pounds for over a thousand charities across the UK and Australia. Under Tom's leadership, it grew to a 70-strong team and later was successfully acquired by Access, a top UK tech firm. Environmental concerns led to his trusteeship at Hubbub, while his deep connection to theatre is underscored by a three year chairmanship of the Belarus Free Theatre at the Young Vic. Their poignant performances and campaigning warned of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, Tom has been a board advisor to the Secret Cinema founder and catalysed the creation of the immersive studio, Lost.org. Tom's dedication to harnessing play's therapeutic qualities is evident in his years of service at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Our Trustees

Maria Teresa Chavez, trustee

Maria is an accomplished holistic health coach, nutrition expert, and therapeutic practitioner, impacting over 1,500 clients on their paths to wellness and purpose. As the former Head of Therapeutics at the esteemed Crossroads Center, she championed treatments for those battling addiction and mental health challenges. In her tenure as Head of Programming for the expansive Carmel Valley Ranch Resort, she managed 75 weekly wellness activities and directed a 30-member team for the $20M revenue company. With a passion for making healing accessible, Maria has fundraised for critical therapies for uninsured US patients. As a doula, she supports new mothers in postpartum transitions, and her insights have graced leading podcasts, covering topics from psychology to evidence-based alternative healing.

David Langer, trustee

David, the visionary Founding Partner of Lionheart Ventures, is at the forefront of impact investment, focusing on enterprises that foster human resilience and contribute positively to our shared future. His entrepreneurial roots trace back to a community platform, GroupSpaces.com, a venture akin to Localgiving.org, backed by Index Ventures. Following this, he introduced Zesty.com, an innovative nutrition platform, which was later acquired by Square.com. Beyond tech, David's fervor for mental health sees him holding key roles as a board member or investor in groundbreaking companies such as Bexson Biomedical, Lief Therapeutics, Wavepaths, Breathwrk Inc, and Journey Clinical. Additionally, David's insights into mental health innovations make him a popular figure at leading global conferences. His overarching mission revolves around advancing technologies and platforms to address pressing existential risks.

Gillian Mead, trustee

Gillian brings over a decade of experience in the environmental sector and business operations to the table. At Vivid Economics, she managed HR and operations during a pivotal growth phase, overseeing the firm's expansion from 20 to 70 members in under two years, culminating in its acquisition by McKinsey & Co. Gillian founded the sustainable fashion brand Araminta (Araminta.com), an organic cotton women's wear fashion label. This was birthed from her academic research during her master's at Oxford and a subsequent scholarship project at Cambridge that led her to exploring the organic cotton supply chain in India and the environmental pollution of the textile dyeing industry. Her expansive environmental portfolio encompasses roles at prestigious organisations, from the UN and the Aldersgate Group to an eminent environmental charity. Gillian harbours a profound commitment to helping children with critical health conditions.