Rev Dr Jean Prosser MBE, Secretary

Jean had a successful career in further education and as a senior civil servant before founding the Trust in 2004, after an approach from Monmouthshire County Council to bid for rural regeneration funding designed to help rejuvenate rural areas affected by the Foot and Mouth outbreak. Prior to founding the Trust Jean had already spearheaded extensive restoration of the at risk Grade 1 listed St Cadoc’s Church at Llangattock Lingoed, through grant aid and fundraising. Other major church renovations in the area followed this initial success, as Jean served as curate and then parish priest. As company secretary she has managed the Trust’s successful conservation of several local listed  agricultural buildings at risk. These include the 16^th century Grade II* Great Trerhew Corn Barn and the Lottery funded conservation of the 1581 Grade II* Croft Barn.  Jean has also organised well attended local conferences on listed building conservation, as well as an awards scheme for Monmouthshire conservation projects;  small grants administration for restoration projects in the county on behalf of MCC and community events, trail guides and open days. Jean was awarded an MBE in 2010 for services to conservation and to the community.

Edward Holland, Trust Vice President

Edward has over 30 years of heritage experience at a senior level with Cadw, the National Trust, Monmouthshire County Council and The Prince’s Regeneration Trust and founded Holland Heritage in 2015. Edward’s knowledge of listed buildings and how best to conserve those at risk has been widely used by the Trust since its inception. He specialises in preparing Heritage Impact Statements, Statements of Significance, Conservation Management Plans and Feasibility Studies for heritage sites. Professionally he advises on a wide range of cultural heritage including historic buildings, archaeology, historic parks and gardens and historic collections. As well as his voluntary work with the Trust, Edward is a full member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation and is one of the few UK consultants accredited by them as an Historic Environment Service Provider. He is also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

Ken Prandy, Trustee

Ken Prandy was a founder member of the Trust and has acted as a Trustee since 2004, with close involvement in the planning and administration of its conservation projects. He had a major role in the collection of local oral histories, selections from which were made available on CD. He set up the Trust’s original website, which is now managed by another volunteer. Ken still maintains a website dedicated to the genealogy and history of the parish of Llangattock Lingoed, near Abergavenny. In his professional life Ken served for 33 years at the University of Cambridge, where he is now a Life Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, he was appointed in 2000 as a Professorial Fellow at Cardiff University. His academic interests are in sociology and social history, particularly historical social mobility. On retirement he was appointed Professor Emeritus.

Pat Griffiths, Trustee

Pat, a farmer’s daughter, farmer’s wife and mother of a farmer, was Trustee and founding chairperson of the Trust and currently still holds these posts. With a background of careers in journalism, catering, sales and latterly as an Editor, she has always brought practical skills to the work of the Trust, alongside her local knowledge of Monmouthshire and its communities. Many of the Trust’s projects have been brought to a successful conclusion through her contribution to communication, both with property owners and professional bodies, as well as grant funders and the wider public. As well as arranging the majority of Press releases, Pat has organised fundraising and open days and community events allowing members of the public to learn about Trust projects and heritage conservation.

David Binding,Trustee

David was born in Abergavenny and was raised in South and West Wales. A European History and Human Geography graduate he qualified as a Barrister and in  his career held the positions of General Counsel and Group Secretary to Saatchi & Saatchi Group Plc and Legal & General Group Plc Corporate Governance and International Commercial Legal Adviser. Post retirement, having moving back to the Abergavenny area, David joined the Trust, became a Trustee and is also a Woodland Manager and Custody Visitor. He serves as Wales representative at The Independent Custody Visitors’ Association. His work with the Trust has included governance of two grant schemes to local conservation projects,  in partnership with Monmouthshire County Council under the Monmouthshire Rural Development Plan, as well as strategic planning.

Vivienne Morgan, Trustee and Treasurer

Vivienne joined the Trust as a Trustee when a previous stalwart stepped back and has acted as Treasurer in a day to day capacity, as well as during the Lottery funded Croft Barn conservation project at Whitecastle Vineyard. An MBA qualified public sector specialist Vivienne has worked at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with key achievements in IT strategy, the Human Resource System and in redevelopment of operating systems. Since retirement in 2001 Vivienne has raised funding and managed the restoration of Llanvapley Church, near Abergavenny; and acted as finance project manager on church conservation projects at other Monmouthshire churches, including Grosmont, Skenfrith, Llanwenarth, Llanfair Green and Llansoy. Vivienne is responsible for managing all Trust conservation project budgets and grant monies, as well as being instrumental in much of the background research and development of projects.

Eric Evans, Trust illustrator and researcher

Eric has been involved with the Trust since it was founded and has over 42 years experience in  building construction and design including an initial five years with an international civil and structural engineering practice based in South Wales and 30 years working within multi disciplinary practices dealing with architecture, landscape architecture/planning, town and and mineral planning. The breadth of projects included design input into conservation area studies, housing and commercial development studies and masterplans in the UK and abroad as well as surveys and conversion proposals for redundant farm buildings and restoration proposals for opencast mining sites. Eric also worked as a planning officer for a local planning authority with involvement in planning applications, Listed Buildings and Tree Preservation Orders, from 2004 until retirement in 2012. His work with Village Alive on conservation projects has including creating original illustrations, designing artwork, logos and explanatory boards and leaflets. From the early 1980s Eric has been a successful freelance illustrator with work including book illustrations, artist impressions of proposed building developments and design of local history leaflets and guide books. In 2021 Eric became a member of the Monmouth Diocesan Advisory Committee.

Chris Fleming-Jones, Trust member

Retired architect, born in Aberystwyth, educated at Stonyhurst College and trained at the Architectural Association in London. After 35 years working in private practice in London and abroad, Chris now lives once again in ‘the land of his fathers’. His extensive experience in design and supervision of building projects across public and private sectors included refurbishment of listed buildings. A belief in fostering the traditional skills and techniques still employed by a dwindling number of craftspeople led Chris to join the Trust as he places great value on preservation of historic buildings.

Michael Powell

Now a resident of Llanarth, Monmouthshire where he was baptised in the Llanarth Court R C Chapel many years previously, Mike was born in Blackwood. After completing an apprenticeship as a mechanical engineer at Alcan aluminium works at Rogerstone and achieving an HND in mechanical engineering he undertook various employment roles including management. In the 1980s with three colleagues Mike set up an IT service company with a staff of 100 at its height. In 2002 he received BSc (Hons) specialising in Mathematics and Computing through the Open University. When the IT company ended in 2005 Mike retrained to set up a small domestic electricity service company. After dreams to run a new venture developing property with his wife, Eileen l dashed by the housing market crash, Mike took on posts with Monmouthshire County Council, including becoming Rural Programme Manager until funding ended in 2022. Now enjoying life with Eileen, in the quiet idyll of Llanarth Mike is a Trustee of Llanarth Village Hall, engaged in regenerating community activities. He says his time delivering the Rural Development Programme for Monmouthshire taught him the value of fostering community above all else.

Eileen O’Leary Powell

Eileen was born in Victoria, Ebbw Vale into an Irish family whose ancestors emigrated from Kerry in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As well as growing up with five brothers, Eileen (whose steelworker grandfather died at just 44 leaving his young widow with nine children), recalls it was her own dad, as the eldest, who had stepped into his late father’s breadwinning shoes at just 15.

Following Roman Catholic school education and a secretarial course Eileen pursued various jobs before marrying and having two children. After divorce Eileen worked as an assistant co-ordinator of Gwent Victim Support and studied for four years with the Open University before following a three-year degree course in History at the former University of Glamorgan and obtaining PGCE/FE at the former Caerleon campus of UWC Newport.

After teaching Roman history, particularly the occupation of Wales, at Caerleon’s Legionary Museum, Eileen pursued a school teaching career. Now retired, Eileen has volunteered at Abergavenny Tourist Information Centre, is currently a voluntary steward at St Mary’s Priory Church and Tithe Barn, Abergavenny and is a genealogist and a member of the Society of Genealogists. Mike and Eileen share five grandchildren.

Pam Watkins

Pam was born into a Monmouthshire farming family and spent a happy childhood in the countryside close to Llanarth and the village of Raglan. Educated at Clytha RC primary school and King Henry VIII Grammar School, Abergavenny,  Pam began working life at Midland Bank, Usk before transferring to Abergavenny in 1976. Involvement in the Young Farmers’ Club movement began in 1968 and as well as holding various official roles, Pam says the experience gave her knowledge, skills, a fantastic social life and ultimately a husband. Two daughters followed but with both suffering serious health problems needing regular hospital visits life was busy, and commitment to helping family remains today.

After running a playgroup at Llanellen and working at the former Alliance and Leicester Building Society Pam set out to fulfil a long-held desire to go into primary teaching, following the untimely death of her father in 1992. After completing a B.Ed degree at Caerleon in 1996, Pam began a teaching career in Pontypool and surrounding area. Illness forced a change of career direction and Pam worked for an auctioneer/estate agent and as a Garden Centre administrator before increasing family commitments intervened and paid employment ceased.

Now remarried, living in Raglan and working part time providing before and after-school care for parents at the local primary school, Pam feels she can devote time again to voluntary team activity, like during  the YFC days, and has officially joined the Village Alive Trust, while relishing spare time with precious grandchildren, or a good book.