Nick Williams OBE very sadly died on 17th April 2022 aged 74. He was a committed GWCT trustee since July 2016 and also our first chairman in Wales. Below colleagues and friends share their fond memories of Nick:
Whilst the passing of anyone is sad it is especially so when they had so much still to give. No-one more so than Nick. His contribution to the countryside in Wales and through GWCT was immense. He willingly gave in both time and financial support without which there would be no GWCT in Wales and GWCT would be the poorer for it. He was an enthusiastic Trustee serving on our F&GP Committee as well as the full Council. He not only pushed hard for a greater effort to gain commercial benefit from our expertise but he lent his senior associates to help make it happen. Few could have done more. His list of friends and contacts was not only astonishing but always open for the benefit of GWCT. Wherever he is now I hope that he realises the huge debt of gratitude which all of GWCT owes him.
His best friend for nearly 60 years was Gareth Edwards, the legendary rugby player. When Gareth edited an edition of Fieldsports last year, it featured an interview with Nick in which Nick described his favourite shooting experience as “a boundary day on Holkham with a mixed bag of 40/60 birds, which I’ve been privileged to do for the last 20 years and it rebalanced my idea of what a day’s sport was. I’d been to many large commercial shoots through business, but realised, for me, that kind of smaller, wilder day is the crème de la crème” - Sir Jim Paice, Chairman of Trustees
Sadly, this week I attended Nick William’s funeral. Nick had not only funded and drove GWCT’s re-birth in Wales five years ago but was also a great mentor and inspiration to me. It was a lovely service at Llandaff Cathedral where his three daughters and eldest granddaughter spoke beautifully. He will be greatly missed at GWCT and our hearts go out to his family and those closest to him. He leaves a large hole in many of our hearts. - Sue Evans, Director Wales
I have great memories of tagging Malt, the woodcock, in 2015. Despite it being a cold and wet night, Nick's deep joy in everything he chose to engage in and his delight at supporting shooting, conservation and research were there for all to see. This work was only possible because Nick purchased one of my woodcock bronzes to raise funds for GWCT's research into woodcock migration. – Owen Williams, Chairman Wales
Charitable donations in memory of Nick can be made to the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Sir Gareth Edwards Cancer Charity at nickwilliams.muchloved.com.