The Edward James Foundation which runs West Dean was established in 1964. It is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. Company no. 6689362 and Charity registration no. 1126084.
The members of the Board of Trustees are:
Professor Paul O'Prey CBE, Chairman
Professor O'Prey is former Vice-Chancellor of Roehampton University, which went from strength to strength under his leadership. In his previous role as Director of Academic Affairs at the University of Bristol, he played a major part in the development and implementation of academic strategy in both research and education.
Professor O'Prey read English Language and Literature at Keble College, Oxford and gained his PhD from Bristol. His publications include several books and articles on writers of the nineteenth and twentieth century, notably Graham Greene and Robert Graves and his circle, as well as translations of Spanish literature. Professor O'Prey joined the Board of Trustees in 2015.
Caroline Griffith
Caroline moved to the UK from Australia when she married, and read for the Bar at the Inner Temple as a mature student. For many years she sat as a magistrate working in the adult and family courts. She has been a Governor for both secondary and tertiary education boards and has a lifelong interest in art and the creative crafts. Caroline Griffith became a Trustee in 2014.
Professor Nigel Llewellyn PhD FSA
Nigel Llewellyn is an expert in Art History and taught at the University of Sussex for 25 years, during which time he also served as Dean and Pro-Vice-Chancellor. This was followed by time at the Tate as Head of Research, leading on research projects across all four Tate sites.
Nigel is involved with several other organisations including the National Heritage Science Forum, the National Museum of Wales, the Harbour House Trust and the Arts and Humanities Research Council and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.
Francis Plowden FCA
Francis Plowden is a chartered accountant and was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers until 2000. Since then he has been a Board member in the private, public and voluntary sectors, including eight years as Chairman of the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College. He is a Trustee of the Anna Plowden Trust, which promotes skills in and awareness of conservation of the moveable heritage. He has also been Chairman of the National Council for Palliative Care, a Commissioner of the Judicial Appointments Commission and a Board member of the Serious Organised Crime Agency, as well Boards in the private sector. Francis Plowden became a Trustee in 2014.
Mike McCart
Director of Development and Policy at Southbank Centre, whose cultural offering exemplifies London's global relationships, attracting world-class artists and 10 million visitors to its summer festivals programme alone.
Martin Ashley MVO RIBA
Martin is an architect in private practice specialising in historic building conservation. Based in Twickenham, Martin's Practice of architects and surveyors assists clients and occupiers in the conservation and management of significant historic building estates, advising and enabling the repair, adaption, and development of historic properties to serve the ongoing needs of client organisations in the 21st century. Martin and his Practice are privileged to have worked over many years with The Royal Household, The Crown Estate, Royal Parks Agency, Historic Royal Palaces, The English Heritage Trust, and City of London Corporation amongst other government and local government agencies and charitable trusts.
Martin Ashley is Surveyor of the Fabric to the Queen's Free Chapel of St George in Windsor Castle, to the Old Royal Naval College Greenwich, and to St Bartholomew the Great in the City of London. Martin is a member of Historic England Conservation Committee, and an active Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Masons.
Alison Richmond ACR FIIC
Alison Richmond was formerly the CEO of Icon (the Institute of Conservation) where she transformed the organisation into the leading membership body and voice for conservation of cultural heritage in the UK. An Accredited Conservator-Restorer (ACR), she is also a Fellow of the International Institute for Conservation (FIIC). Alison was a Senior Conservator at the V&A for almost two decades.
Passionate about the future of conservation, she aims to help overcome the financial challenges she sees for people looking for a career in the conservation sector. Alison joined the Board as Trustee in December 2018.
Naomi Davenport
Naomi Davenport is Head of Programme and Content at London Craft Week, a city-wide festival celebrating creativity and exceptional craftsmanship from around the world.
With 12 years of experience in the cultural sector spanning craft, design and contemporary art, Naomi is interested in the dialogue between these sectors, particularly the manner in which craft practices and design thinking together can drive radical solutions.
Prior to joining London Craft Week, Naomi worked across India, Sri Lanka and Singapore, where she celebrated the depth of craft heritage in South Asia and Southeast Asia through a diverse range of international programming across an array of design disciplines.
Naomi is a graduate of the Courtauld Institute of Art.