Justine Williams

Head of Pelorus Foundation

Joining as the very first Head of the Pelorus Foundation, Justine Williams brings over 30 years’ of experience from the UK voluntary sector to the charity – and a wealth of knowledge in NGO fundraising, communications and marketing.

Prior to joining Pelorus, Justine led fundraising and marketing teams in a range of UK and international charities, including Plan International, ActionAid, Practical Action and UK environmental charity Garden Organic. Driving positive change, Justine has sourced funding to support people living in some of the poorest parts of the world – working with local community-based partners to help combat the effects of climate change, protect our environment and ensure long-term bio-diversity through environmentally conscious and sustainable projects.

Justine said: “I am delighted to join Pelorus Foundation, a very special organisation that funds conservation and environmental projects that are close to my heart. Working together with our supporters and project partners, I look forward help building the Foundation and raising essential funds to support impactful projects. And of course, the bigger picture – helping to create a more sustainable world for people and wildlife, whilst conserving and protecting our planet for generations to come”.

Like most of the Pelorus team, Justine has travelled extensively – for work and pleasure, and has spent time in some of the world’s poorest and most remote communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America – meeting local project partners and seeing the impact funds have had on sustainable poverty alleviating projects.

Justine is also a qualified yoga teacher, and member of a contemporary dance company, and a trustee of Cherwell Theatre Company.

Number one unforgettable travel experience?

I have had so many it’s almost impossible to think of just one, especially as my work in international development has taken me far and wide. From walking five days in the Sindhuli District in Nepal to visit small remote farming communities, sleeping in an open grain loft gained by climbing up a tree trunk, a small wooden hut with a roof covered in spiders the size of my hand, and on a bed bug invested rope bed in a community kitchen… to visiting members of the Samburu tribe in the Turkana District in northern Kenya, watching camels walk across the plains and ensuring we left the area before the light failed to avoid being hijacked. To travels across Zambia from Lusaka to Livingstone with a troupe of keen motorcyclists (I stayed safely in the four- wheel vehicle) as we visited tiny health clinics in rural communities. This trip had a little more luxury culminating in a very soggy walk at the stunning Victoria Falls and a walking safari, silently standing so close to a family of White Rhino.

Top of your travel bucket list?

For pure pleasure I have always wanted to visit Japan, especially during the cherry blossom season. The culture, the landscape, and the food as always been a great draw for me, especially with my own Eastern Asian background.

Who is your ultimate travel partner?

I would love to travel on the back of Ewan McGregor’s motorbike, perhaps re-tracing the Long Way down trip he did with Charlie Boorman. I think not only would it be fantastic and a great challenge to travel through Europe and down through Africa with me on a motorbike this time, travelling with Ewan would be a lot of fun!