Meet the team of Directors and Trustees who run the Trust:

Managing Director

Phill started his career in the Royal Marines working as a musician on board the Royal Yacht Britannia where he travelled the world providing music for the Royal Family. 

After thirteen years he decided on a change of career and trained as a personal trainer where he secured a position as a sports rehabilitation specialist with David Lloyd Leisure helping people recover from injury and major surgery.  Phill spent two years in this position before joining the management team with the clear aim of driving income across all sports and activities in the health club.  After six very successful years in this role Phill moved across to the sales and membership department to help grow the business for future investment. 

After eight successful years with David Lloyd Leisure, Phill took the General Manager position in a large Virgin Active health club in Wimbledon where the same ‘customer first’ approach saw the club out-perform its targets to deliver £127k over budget.  

Following a relocation to Wales, Phill started as Area Manager for Evans Cycles before taking up the position of Commercial Director with Aneurin Leisure Trust. Following restructuring in November 2019, Phill took up the post of Director of Operations, and following a further restructure in April 2026 became Managing Director.

Director of Operations

Tom began his career in leisure services in 2006 at Nantyglo Sports Centre and has since built more than 20 years of experience across sport, fitness, health and wellbeing services in Blaenau Gwent.

Throughout his career, he has gained extensive operational experience across a range of sites and services including Tredegar, Ebbw Vale and Abertillery sports centres, Parc Bryn Bach and the National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS), giving him a strong understanding of service delivery at both frontline and strategic levels.

Tom studied Sports Coaching at UWIC University from 2008 to 2011, before going on to complete undergraduate degrees in Sport and Exercise Science and Business Administration. He later completed his MBA in 2021 at the London School of Economics, strengthening his commercial, organisational and leadership expertise.

Before moving fully into management, Tom represented Wales and Great Britain in long jump and triple jump during his teenage years. He was crowned Welsh Champion seven times and finished as runner-up at the British Championships in 2009. He remains passionate about health, fitness and performance, and continues to stay active through running, strength and condition.

During his career with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council and Aneurin Leisure Trust, Tom has progressed through a number of roles including Lifeguard, Duty Supervisor, Fitness Manager and NERS Coordinator, Sports and Fitness Manager, and now Director of Operations with responsibility for Libraries, Sport and Wellbeing Services.

Chair

In the local government reorganisation in 1996 I moved to Blaenau Gwent Council. I worked in the Works department as a management services officer, then into Leisure Services and became the grounds maintenance and countryside manager until my retirement in 2009. I have worked over 30 years in local government and I have gained valuable experience during that time.

In March 2013 I became the vice chairman of voluntary directors with Six Bells Regeneration Limited which is a social enterprise company based at TY Ebbw Fach in Six Bells. In December 2013 I became the company secretary and I have acquired business skills which will be beneficial in carrying out the role as trustee. I am looking forward to being involved in developing and improving access for leisure, culture and community learning which will bring great benefits to the future health, and wellbeing of the people of Blaenau Gwent. I would like to ensure the long-term sustainability of leisure services and I am proud to serve as a trustee on the board of Aneurin Leisure Trust.

Employee Trustee

I started working for Gwent Libraries in 1989, in a temporary job in County Hall, Cwmbran, and have worked for libraries ever since! I worked in Gwent's Schools Library Service, and Acquisitions, before transferring to Blaenau Gwent with reorganisation in 1996. In that time I have worked on the mobile library and home delivery service, and I am currently the children's officer, which includes responsibility for library services for schools and Bookstart.

Originally from Newport, I've lived in Tredegar for 23 years and have two daughters. In my spare time I volunteer for Kidz R Us, a performing arts centre in Tredegar. My interests include music and dance, walking and reading (of course!).

Employee Trustee

Having lived in Tredegar all my life, I have huge pride in the area and feel a true connection to the Trust’s mission.

I have a strong sporting background, enjoying a range of sports but excelling at swimming culminating in representing Wales in 2002.

I was able to continue this passion for swimming with employment as a swimming teacher at the age of 16, working for BGCBC, when I started my career in 2004.

My career path progressed within BGCBC and Aneurin Leisure Trust encompassing many different roles within the sports centres and both Parc Bryn Bach and Bedwellty House and Park, and over the years my passion for sport evolved to embrace outdoor activities. This stemmed from volunteering at Parc Bryn Bach at the age of 19, going on expeditions to France and Spain and supporting the Hospice of the Valleys through volunteering for the Welsh 3000s and the National 3 Peaks Challenge.

Within my current role as Facility Manager for Parc Bryn Bach, my aim is to develop and grow opportunities for the local community, implementing new initiatives and activities with which everyone can engage.

My hope is that my enthusiasm and passion will inspire future generations through the current adventure educational programme which we continue to evolve and grow.

Community Trustee

Originally from Ashington, Northumberland, I moved to Wales in 2017 with my business oomph, a customer experience agency, founded in 2005.  Previous experience has included running a WPP interactive design agency in London and working for global telecommunications enterprise Cable and Wireless in the UK and Bermuda.  I also founded and now run a digital platform-based survey tool, Decision Juice.

I have always had a passion for wellbeing in all aspects of life, now as a committed fell runner, a Welsh FA football coach and PPC for the Green Party in Blaenau Gwent and previously as a triathlete, footballer and qualified personal fitness trainer.

I'm very happily committed to balance time with my family, my work and the communities of which I am proud to be part. I have chaired committees as  an 11-16 school governor, a local football team, co-founded a health and wellbeing participation group, run a football youth coaching programme and provided vocational lecturing for High Level Apprentices in marketing and communications.

I'm both grateful and excited to have been offered the position as Community Trustee of Aneurin Leisure and hope to be able to share some of my knowledge in customer experience innovation and data driven research as well as work in which I have been engaged with Sport England, Leisure and Arts Trusts, County Sports Partnerships and Social Investment Fund development.  I look forward to being part of a team that makes Aneurin Leisure a national reference point in creating a new approach to wellbeing through leisure and life community services provision. 

Community Trustee

Living in Abertillery for 25 years, I understand what it is like to live and work the Blaenau Gwent area and I have used Aneurin Leisure facilities for over 25 years seeing all the changes along the way. I am a keen football player, playing for many years at Abertillery Bluebirds and as a company we are the main sponsor of the club.

I am passionate about driving businesses forward and making a difference in people lives. I started Candour Talent in 2016, a recruitment company based in Ebbw Vale, and now have three branches turning over £10M, winning numerous awards including Fast Growth 50 and the Great British Entrepreneur of the Year 2022. As a business we support local charities and have a passion for supporting our local community with a vision to change people’s lives.

Throughout my time at Candour I have learnt many skills in management, sales and budgets with extensive experience in growing businesses and working to tight deadlines and targets. I have other businesses including a property portfolio, investments in start-ups and love to see people achieve and develop within my business.

I feel honoured and privileged to have been selected as a trustee for Aneurin Leisure Trust, giving something back to the community I grew up in is very important to me. I am looking forward to sharing my skills and experience in helping Aneurin Leisure Trust achieve and reach its goals and objectives in the short and long term.

Trustee

Originally from Abertillery, I now live in Llangynidr and graduated in Human Resource Management from Glamorgan University in Pontypridd. 

I started my career in manufacturing working in supervisory management positions in fast moving environments. After 10 years I took the decision to change career path and moved into human resources and health and safety management remaining within the private sector. I am experienced in creating and implementing programmes to improve business operations and my past positions have enabled her to gain experience of short-term working abroad such as France, Malaysia and Korea.

In 2015, I made the decision to widen my current knowledge and experience choosing to work within the public sector and joined BGCBC in April 2015, transferring to Aneurin Leisure Trust as the Human Resource Manager in July 2015. Following restructuring in November 2019, I took the post of Director of Resources.

In 2016 I started my own human resource consultancy business, People Resource Consultancy (PRC), with the aim to support small to medium local businesses that cannot afford or choose not to have their own in-house human resource.

In March 2026 I retired from Aneurin Leisure Trust and will continue active work through my business PRC.

As of April 2026, I feel honoured and privileged to have been selected as a trustee for Aneurin Leisure Trust, as I strongly believe in their business model of a not-for-profit Charity aimed towards giving back to the community I grew up in, which is important to me and my family as they still live in Blaenau Gwent. I am looking forward to continuing to share my knowledge, skills and experience in helping Aneurin Leisure Trust work towards achieving all of its goals and objectives.