The Trust

Plas Gunter Mansion Trust

Plas Gunter Mansion Trust is aiming to restore the 17th century Plas Gunter Mansion and bring it back to life.

The Trust is committed to preserving the integrity of the building when it is refurbished while ensuring it generates an income and serves a new generation of users.

Originally formed as the Welsh Georgian Trust in 2011, the Trust had a Wales-wide remit to restore buildings at risk which were of historical or architectural significance. You can read more about the history of the Trust and its projects here.

Since the beginning of 2020, the Trust has concentrated entirely on Plas Gunter Mansion, and has changed its name to reflect its focus.

The Trust’s only paid member of staff is a part-time Office Administrator. Otherwise, it relies solely on the charitable services of the Trustees and an army of willing volunteers.

Trustees

Dr Richard Allen

Richard supervises Postgraduate Research in Theology and Religion at Birmingham University and is Schools Liaison Officer at Quaker-based Woodbrooke College. He was formerly a Reader in Early Modern Cultural History at the University of South Wales and a Fulbright Professor of British History at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri.

Richard holds a Research Fellowship at Newcastle University, UK, and an Honorary Associate Professorial role at the Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

He has written or edited 12 books and numerous articles on Welsh and transatlantic history.

Philip Bowyer

Phil an Abergavenny Town Councillor for Park ward and Chair of the Council Policy and Resources Committee.

He has previously been Chair of the Abergavenny Civic Society and the Byn y Cwm Community Forum.

Phil was born in Newport and worked for the Union of Post Office Workers after leaving university. From 1989 he was General Secretary of Communications International in Geneva, and from 2000 was Deputy General Secretary of UNI Global Union, where he had responsibility for organisation and finance.

Owen Davies (Chair)

Owen is a planning, regeneration and local economic development consultant with over 25 years’ experience of regeneration initiatives, economic strategies, development proposals and masterplans including some 40 city centres and towns across the UK. He has been involved with several ‘new uses for old buildings’ projects and heritage regeneration schemes.

His interest in Plas Gunter Mansion began as a teenager when he came across the fascinating history and importance of the building while researching his A-level history project at King Henry VIII Comprehensive. Owen also founded Gwagle in 2019, a shared workspace and coworking community located in Abergavenny town centre. On his days off, he is heavily involved with the Abergavenny cycling scene and Abergavenny Road Club.

Deborah Holland (Secretary)

Deborah has been a marketing professional since 2001. She previously ran branding and design agency SmithHolland Creative, managing the agency’s projects and copywriting for a variety of clients.

She came to marketing via fundraising and has considerable knowledge of the third sector and charitable organisations, such as Cardiff-based homelessness charity Llamau and the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.

She is now a freelance marketer and is very pleased to work as part-time Office Administrator for the Trust.

Tony Konieczny

Tony is Chair of the Civic Society and was a town councillor for seven years, serving as Mayor of Abergavenny three times.

A retired deputy head teacher, he has served as a trustee on the boards of Abergavenny and District Civic Society, Ty’r Morwydd (Mulberry House), Civic Trust Cymru and the Friends of Abergavenny Library Service.

As part of a Civic Society venture in partnership with the Civic Trust Cymru, Tony co-led a project involving volunteers to survey the character areas of Abergavenny and Mardy. The undertaking took four years and culminated in the publication of two books Exploring Abergavenny and Take a Look at Abergavenny and Mardy

Dr Gill Wakley

Some years ago, an interest in archaeology prompted Gill to complete a qualification at Bristol extramural department in landscape archaeology. She was already well used to research, having qualified in medicine and then in public health, followed by a switch into academic primary care.

Later, after completing a dissertation, she was offered a senior lecturer’s post and then a professor’s post working mainly in distance learning in primary care. In retirement, she has been able to indulge her other interests and is the chairman and an active researcher for Abergavenny Local History Society.

Nataliia Barabanova(Treasurer)

Nataliia is an accountant and a Ukrainian national who has made a home for herself and her son in Abergavenny because of the war in Ukraine. Currently working for a local accountancy firm, she has overseen the Trust’s transition into using financial software to manage its accounts.