“One person’s clutter is another’s treasure”, as the saying goes … well, sort of. And nowhere was this more apparent than at an auction of unwanted items to raise money for Abergavenny’s Plas Gunter Mansion (PGM) restoration project and Mind Monmouthshire in May.

The Abergavenny Ladies Business Association (ALBA) and Anna Roberts, a volunteer for the PGM project, organised the event at the King’s Arms Hotel which offered the venue free of charge.

Plas Gunter Mansion is a 17th Century town house on Cross Street of national and international historical significance. In 1907 a local builder discovered a secret chapel in the attic where Catholics used to worship when it was illegal and dangerous to do so in the late 1600s.

The charitable trust has received a development grant of £220,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to start the ball rolling to conserve and transform the house into a fascinating visitor experience. The funds raised by the auction will go towards much needed current running costs.

Items donated for the sale included three beautiful hand-crafted patchwork throws (from Dragonfly Antiques), an antique washing bowl and potty set, a solar powered torch, several framed pictures, empty picture frames, a 70-year old Egyptian embroidered shawl, jigsaw puzzles, a lower body exerciser, handbags and as well as the more usual bric-a-brac.

The big sellers of the evening were a guided tour of Rockfield Studios for two people, donated by Jane Wyatt and a chimney sweep, donated by The Tidy Sweep and Stove Installers, an Abergavenny-based business.

ALBA also organised a raffle and the prizes were donated by local businesses and individuals: The King’s Arms; Kirsty at Headroom, Feodora Hairdressers, Chris Jones, Mary Davies, Trading Post, Pink Angels Office Services, EH Accountancy, Cooks’ Galley and Bailams & Co.

At the end of the auction, attendees were invited to browse through what was left and make an offer for items.

Proceeds from the night reached £1,116, 70 per cent of which will go to Plas Gunter Mansion and the remaining 30 per cent to Mind Monmouthshire, ALBA’s charity of the year.

Any items that did not sell were taken to a charity shop in town the following day.

Owen Davies, chair of the Plas Gunter Mansion project and one of the bidders said: “We are so grateful for the support of ALBA at this year’s auction. The impressive sums raised will make a huge difference to the day to day running costs of Plas Gunter Mansions.

“Our Heritage Lottery Funding has to be spent on very specific preparatory work for the building’s restoration, whilst the Charities running costs continue to grow. I was personally delighted to have an enjoyable evening and successfully bid for the Tidy Sweep and a few other bargains.”

“It was a win-win situation,” said Anna Roberts, PGM volunteer and event auctioneer. “People had the chance to get rid of their clutter, raise money for a good cause and take away items that they wanted or needed more than items they’d donated.

“We were astounded by how much we managed to raise from people’s unwanted items. It’s another form of community recycling!”

Abergavenny residents and visitors can see a temporary exhibition of the history of the Plas Gunter Mansion and plans for its renovation on the ground floor of the building at 39a Cross Street in the town. Run by volunteers it is open on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10.30am till 4pm between March and December.

ALBA (Abergavenny Ladies Business Association) meets on the first Thursday of every month at the King’s Arms.