Mark Williams Foundation

About us

Our Values - What Drives Us

In October 2023, the world lost a remarkable man far too soon.

Mark Williams was more than a visionary business leader. He was a devoted father, a loyal friend, and a passionate believer in fairness, opportunity, and the power of second chances. His unexpected passing left a space that can never be filled - but in the quiet after grief, his voice, his values, and his vision still rang clear.

His widow, Nicola Williams, heard it loudest.

Nicola had always stood beside Mark, in life, in love, and in business. But after his passing, she found herself standing for him. With courage, determination, and grace, she made a promise: to take forward the mission Mark had dreamed of but never had the chance to build.

A Legacy of Compassion, A Future of Action

Mark believed every child has the right to love and stability. He saw, time and again, how the legal system failed fathers, good men who wanted nothing more than to protect, provide, and be present for their children. When fathers can’t access fair legal support, it's not necessarily the men who suffer, it's the children who lose out most.

This belief became the cornerstone of The Mark Williams Foundation.

Under Nicola’s leadership, the Foundation launched the Fathers' Legal Support Initiative - a first-of-its-kind initiative offering financial aid and legal guidance to fathers fighting for custody, access, or shared care of their children. This isn’t about sides; it’s about balance. It’s about ensuring the child’s right to a whole family.

But Mark’s heart was even bigger than that.

He was a self-made entrepreneur who had seen the odds and beat them. He knew what it meant to be underestimated. To risk everything. And he was fiercely passionate about giving the next generation the same chance he had to build, create, and thrive.

That’s why the Foundation also delivers the Entrepreneurship Apprenticeship - supporting young people who want to carve their own path. From school leavers with a spark of an idea, to those needing mentorship, funding, and belief. This initiative gives them what Mark would have given: a fighting chance.

More Than a Charity - A Movement

The Mark Williams Foundation isn’t just about fundraising. It’s about rewriting the story of who gets to succeed, who gets heard in court, and who gets supported when the odds are against them.

Nicola has taken the heartbreak of personal loss and transformed it into purpose. She leads with resilience and compassion - values that defined Mark’s life and now define the future of the Foundation.

Together, with the help of supporters, partners, and communities across the UK, The Mark Williams Foundation is delivering on a promise:
To protect children’s rights to family.

To empower young people with tools and opportunities.
To drive economic growth and social justice, one life at a time.

This is Mark’s legacy. This is Nicola’s mission.

And it’s a movement we invite you to be part of.

Because no father should fight alone.

No young entrepreneur should be left behind.

And no vision worth having should die with the man who dreamed it.

Our Purpose

The Mark Williams Foundation exists to protect children’s rights to loving relationships with good fathers, to challenge injustice, and to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs to build stronger futures for themselves, their families, and fuel economic growth.

We believe every child deserves the love and guidance of both parents, and that good fathers should never be pushed to the sidelines by a system that too often fails them. We’ve seen the damage caused when families are fractured unfairly, and we know that when fathers are supported, children thrive. At the same time, we recognise that building stronger futures also means investing in the dreams of young people, giving them the tools, confidence, and opportunity to create something lasting. By standing up for justice in family life and unlocking the potential of future entrepreneurs, we honour Mark’s vision of a fairer, more empowered society, one where no one is left behind simply because they couldn’t afford to fight, or no one believed in them.

Our Values - What Drives Us

Integrity

Trust is the foundation of every future we build.

Resilience

Strong for the journey. Stronger for the cause.

Compassion

Real change starts with real care.

Empowerment

Equipping every person to lead their own story.

Opportunity

Turning potential into possibility, and possibility into progress.

These values are more than words to us, they are the principles that shaped Mark’s life and now shape our mission. Integrity matters because trust is the foundation of every relationship, every opportunity, and every future we help build. We hold resilience at our core because the road to justice and change is never easy, but worth every step. Compassion drives us to see the people behind the problem and to act with heart, not just intention. Through empowerment, we offer more than support, we give people the tools and confidence to take control of their own stories. And we are guided by opportunity, because we believe in potential, often unseen, often underestimated and we exist to turn it into lasting progress. These values honour who Mark was, and they fuel everything we do in his name

Our Team

Meet our teams who are carrying forward Mark’s vision

Nicola Williams

Founder/Trustee/ Member AKA Legacy Guardian - keeping Mark’s Mission Alive

Nicola Williams is the heart behind The Mark Williams Foundation. A devoted mother and step-mother, accomplished businesswoman, and widow of the late Mark Williams, Nicola founded the charity in the wake of unimaginable personal loss. Where others might have faltered, Nicola chose to rise - channelling her grief into purpose and honouring Mark’s life by continuing the work he never had the chance to finish.

Mark was not only her husband, but her partner in every sense - at home, in business, and in their shared values. Together, they believed in fairness, opportunity, and the importance of standing up for those too often left behind. After his sudden passing in October 2023, Nicola made it her mission to protect Mark’s legacy and transform his vision into something lasting and life-changing.

Drawing on her own lived experience and her deep understanding of leadership and social impact, Nicola launched the Foundation to support two causes Mark cared most deeply about. 

Nicola’s unwavering commitment to justice, family, and opportunity is what fuels the Foundation’s momentum. With every family helped, every young entrepreneur supported, and every voice lifted - she is building not only a legacy for Mark, but a better future for others.

Nicola Williams

Craig Williams

Trustee/ Member

Craig Williams brings both personal insight and professional dedication to The Mark Williams Foundation. As Mark’s brother, he shared a lifetime of memories, of family laughs, business brainstorming sessions, and a deep belief in justice and opportunity. 

Professionally rooted in the values Mark lived by, Craig offers hands-on experience in strategic oversight, community engagement, and organisational leadership. He works closely with Nicola to steward the Foundation’s efforts, from delivering crucial legal support to fathers, to nurturing emerging entrepreneurs. Craig ensures that every decision honors Mark’s vision of fairness, resilience, compassion, empowerment, and genuine opportunity for all.

Grounded in family, guided by legacy, and driven by purpose, Craig is instrumental in shaping and upholding the Foundation’s impact across the UK. His unique combination of brotherly devotion and trustee responsibility helps turn grief into growth, and personal loss into a movement for positive change.

Craig Williams

Libby McAdam

Trustee/Member

Libby McAdam brings financial expertise, unwavering family loyalty, and a deep belief in the Foundation’s mission to her role as Trustee. As Nicola Williams’s sister and Mark’s sister-in-law, Libby has been a constant source of strength and support through the most difficult chapters - and now plays a vital role in helping turn shared heartbreak into meaningful impact.

With a professional background in accounting, Libby provides essential oversight of the Foundation’s financial management, ensuring that every pound donated is used with care, transparency, and purpose. Her attention to detail, integrity, and commitment to good governance ensure the Foundation remains not only emotionally driven - but operationally sound.

Beyond the numbers, Libby is deeply connected to the cause. She has witnessed first-hand the challenges faced by families navigating loss, separation, and legal battles, and is passionate about creating a future where support is accessible, opportunity is real, and every child has the chance to thrive.

Thoughtful, principled, and quietly powerful, Libby is a steady hand at the heart of the Foundation’s work -bringing both professionalism and heart to everything she does.

Libby McAdam

Sarah Peacock

Executive Assistant (AKA the one who actually does all the work)

Sarah Peacock is the quiet force who helps keep The Mark Williams Foundation running smoothly, purposefully, and with heart. Having first met Nicola Williams while working as a PA at The NWH Group, Sarah quickly became more than a colleague - she became a trusted ally and an integral part of Nicola’s professional journey.

When Nicola founded the Foundation, she knew exactly who she wanted by her side. Sarah’s loyalty, exceptional organisational skills, and calm under pressure made her the perfect fit for the role of Executive Assistant - a role she now carries out with pride, precision, and compassion.

More than just managing diaries and operations, Sarah is a steward of the Foundation’s values. She ensures the day-to-day work reflects the care, dignity, and purpose at the heart of Mark’s legacy. Her role bridges the emotional and the operational - supporting the team, the trustees, and the families and individuals the Foundation serves.

Grounded, dependable, and deeply committed, Sarah is one of the many reasons the Foundation continues to grow with grace and purpose. She represents the very best of behind-the-scenes leadership - where heart meets action.

Sarah Peacock

Negin Botia

Marketing Volunteer, The one who puts Mark in Marketing

Negin Botia proudly serves as the Marketing Volunteer for The Mark Williams Foundation, bringing passion, creativity, and heartfelt dedication to her role. A colleague of Nicola Williams at the NWH Group, Negin never had the chance to meet Mark in person, but she deeply feels the weight of his legacy and the magnitude of his loss.With a sharp eye for storytelling and a commitment to impact, Negin plays a vital role in shaping the Foundation’s voice, ensuring that Mark’s name and mission resonate widely. She is honored to be part of a cause so close to Nicola’s heart and is especially proud to help deliver the kind of meaningful work Mark himself never had the opportunity to complete.

Negin Botia
Nicola Williams
Nicola Williams
Founder/Trustee/ Member AKA Legacy Guardian - keeping Mark’s Mission Alive
Craig Williams
Craig Williams
Trustee/ Member
Libby McAdam
Libby McAdam
Trustee/Member
Sarah Peacock
Sarah Peacock
Executive Assistant (AKA the one who actually does all the work)
Negin Botia
Negin Botia
Marketing Volunteer, The one who puts Mark in Marketing