​Greenbelt Festival organisers want their new director to take the popular event to a new level.

The four-day festival, which is a celebration of music, arts and Christian worship, takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse over the August bank holiday weekend.

Organisers have appointed former charity worker Gawain Hewitt as the new festival director.

He succeeds Beki Bateson, who left in September after nine years, and will start his new position in February.

The 30-year-old said: “Having always admired Greenbelt, I am delighted to be appointed as its festival director.

“It’s a fantastic event and I am looking forward to working with the team to continue its success over the coming years.”

Gawain is currently creative director and events organiser at Community Music, a charity working with young people, underprivileged children and adults, based in London’s East End.

In 2003 he helped set up an educational social enterprise company, Skillz, and has developed this as director over the past seven years.

Andy Turner, chairman of the Greenbelt trustees, said: “Greenbelt is a festival like no other. It’s of significance to many people, is assembled by an eclectic group of staff and volunteers, with a diverse and growing audience.

“Finding the right person with the vocation and that astonishing mix of skills, experience, vision and ideas to take us forward as festival director was always going to be a challenge.

“I’m pleased that following an exhaustive process, involving some excellent candidates, we have been able to appoint Gawain.

“With an active Christian faith and a passion for justice and the arts, we have appointed someone sensitive and astute.

“He is an entrepreneur who will lead Greenbelt, helping us to deepen our artistic vision, widen our community of volunteers and supporters, broaden our audience and nurture that important distinctiveness.”

The trustees say Gawain has a background in charities and enterprise that means he is well placed to work with the festival’s staff and volunteers.

This year’s Greenbelt Festival caused controversy when an openly gay American bishop was invited to speak at the event. Gene Robinson, the Bishop of New Hampshire, delivered three talks about homosexuality at the event, to the anger of some hard-line Christian groups.