The Manly Trust was founded in 1991 by former CIBSE President Graham Manly in memory of his father Alfred Manly. It was set up to further Graham’s passion for supporting young engineers through education, training, and careers development. Over the past 35 years, The Manly Trust has provided donations of nearly £2 million.
Two generations of engineering excellence
Alfred Manly founded the eponymous A.G. Manly & Co, based in Wandsworth, South West London, in 1948. Over the subsequent decades it grew to become one of the largest independent building services engineering businesses in the UK.
In 1972, Alfred’s son, Graham, joined A.G. Manly & Co as Mechanical Services Contractor before becoming Contracts Director in 1977, and Managing Director in 1982. A.G. Manly & Co. was acquired by Gratte Brothers in 2000 and Graham became Business Development Director, with special responsibility for technical innovation.
Both father and son served as Presidents of the Heating & Ventilating Contractors Association (now BESA) in 1978 and 2009 respectively. Graham was also President of CIBSE in 2004 and was awarded an OBE for his contribution to Building Services Engineering in 2012. Graham received an honorary doctorate from London South Bank University, where he was a visiting professor, just 6 months before his death in 2019.
Current Trustees
From its inception in 1991 until 2023, The Manly Trust was run by Graham’s wife, Margaret, as chair of a Board of Trustees, that included friends, family and close connections made through Graham’s career. The family association remains through their son, David, who has been a Trustee since 2013. The current Board of Trustees comprises:
- David Manly, Brand Consultant
- David Montgomery, Retired Chartered Accountant
- Ewen Rose, Director at McGowan Rose Associates
- Simon Carpenter, Commercial Director at eleXion