Metanoia Institute Welcomes Four New Members to the Board of Trustees

Metanoia Institute is delighted to announce the appointment of four exceptional new members to its Board of Trustees following a comprehensive recruitment process. This search sought individuals who are passionate about mental health, committed to social justice, and eager to shape the future of our dynamic institution. These new trustees bring a wealth of expertise in legal, human resources, governance, and therapeutic practice, further strengthening our board and aligning with our mission to make therapy accessible to all corners of society.

Meet the New Trustees

Anthea Jane Bamford, Trustee

Anthea is a lawyer with over 25 years of experience working in international law firms in London and Australia and as the in-house counsel for large real estate investors. Until recently, she was Legal Director for Canary Wharf Group plc, advising on corporate, financing and real estate matters. Before that, she was a partner in two international law firms in London. Anthea has advised some of the world's largest investment funds and companies on their real estate interests, joint ventures and property operations. She has also advised several London-based charities, with particular emphasis on work that delivers positive social impact in the community. She is also a non-executive director of a co-living start-up. 

Gillian McGrattan, Trustee

Gillian studied medical sciences at the University of Birmingham and earned a humanities degree at Oxford. Her early career path was as an economist and country risk analyst working for City banks, later moving into people strategy and development for the banking sector, supported further by an MBA from Warwick Business School. Her HR/People career took her to directorships in professional services, a board role at National Savings and Investments and, most recently, director roles with the Universities of Warwick and Birmingham. She retired from her executive role in August 2024 and has recently been appointed as a non-executive director at University Hospitals Birmingham in addition to her Board Trustee role with the Metanoia Institute.

Heather Salway, Trustee

Heather is a director of Jump Advisory Group, with expertise in people strategy and practice, talent retention, leadership, learning & development, employee relations and employment law. She is an ILM level 7 Executive Coach & Leadership Mentor with 30 years of experience working with large and small businesses across the UK, Europe and the USA to promote growth, improve quality & productivity and attract, engage and retain fantastic teams. She was previously a non-executive director of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, the professional membership body whose aims include driving up standards in the recruitment industry, a school governor, and a non-executive director of a digital marketing start-up.

Param Singh Sahni, Student Trustee

Param is a psychotherapeutic counsellor and recovery coach from the global majority, currently in his final year of advanced psychotherapy training at the Metanoia Institute. With nearly a decade of experience in support roles, he specialises in grief, cultural issues, addiction recovery, depression, neurodivergence, and helping people move through life changes. He is passionate about nature and animals and addressing the unique challenges men of colour face. He is a co-founder of The Work UK, emphasising the importance of men supporting men in opening up about their mental health and breaking down outdated notions of masculinity for personal growth. Param now works in private practice and the charity sector as a Leader at Ealing RISE (Drug & Alcohol Service). He also works for Ealing Abbey Counselling Service and Kingston Bereavement Service. He has experience supporting Metanoia’s Counselling and Psychotherapy Service, Adfam and Sikh Community groups and various other charities and support services locally and internationally.

Supporting Metanoia's 2023-2028 Strategy

This recruitment reflects Metanoia’s commitment to robust governance and alignment with its vision to lead the way in therapy education. The new trustees’ contributions will be instrumental in implementing our strategic priorities, including fostering inclusion, driving innovation, becoming an intelligence-led institution and ensuring long-term sustainability. 

Please join us in warmly welcoming Anthea, Gillian, Heather, and Param to Metanoia as we embark on this exciting phase of our journey.