Megan de Silva is the Objects Conservator for Monmouthshire County Council having studied Conservation for Museums and Archaeology at Cardiff University. She has worked as a conservator caring for collections for the National Trust, National Museum of Wales, National Museum of Scotland as well as private conservators and she has a broad understanding of the preservation of heritage within the public and private sectors.

The HLF Committee for Wales is made up of leading figures in the heritage sector across the country who are chosen for their wide range of experience and local knowledge. Responsible for making decisions on applications to the Fund from £100,000 to £2million, the Committee is supported by the HLF team for Wales, which operates from offices in Cardiff.

Megan says about her new role: "I'm really excited to be joining the Wales decision making committee. I'm lucky to work in the heritage sector so am very aware of the crucial role HLF plays in keeping the places, things and stories of our past alive. It will be a real privilege to take an active role in supporting so many fantastic projects which preserve our cultural heritage so that it can be enjoyed now and for the future. I hope my knowledge and enthusiasm will contribute to the skills of the team that help these projects get off the ground."

Megan believes in using her work to facilitate greater access to heritage collections to as wide an audience as possible, working with communities to develop exhibitions and to take museums to new audiences at festivals. She is a member of the Institute of Conservation and a member of the Stewardship Committee of the Federation of Welsh Museums. Megan is involved in a number of voluntary activities including teaching conservation to museum professionals across the world with the charity Heritage without Borders.

Growing up in North Wales and a fluent Welsh speaker, Megan has a broad appreciation of all factors that comprise our heritage from the hills of Snowdonia to the skills or craftsman who build the walls that surround them. She is a member of the Heritage Crafts Association and has participated in world congresses discussing the preservation of intangible heritage. She is also passionate about reducing the impact which heritage has on the natural environment promoting the need for collections care to become more environmentally sustainable through publications and conferences.

Further information

Phil Cooper, HLF Press Office on 07889 949 173.