Julie (Abbott) Williams

Julie (Abbott) Williams is chair of Wendover Parish Council. She arrived in the UK from Southern Africa aged 10, along with her parents and three younger brothers. She attended Weston Turville School and then went on to John Colet School. Her enthusiasm for football (not played by girls much then) was channelled towards hockey culminating in playing for Bucks, and then captaining South England U21 to the Nationals in her A Level year.

Alongside hockey and her love for adrenaline-pumping activities, Julie firmly believes that travel is the best education and decided to embark on a gap year after leaving school. This took her on safari and to bungee jump off Victoria Falls bridge. Although this year was incredibly fulfilling, she returned home uncertain about her future and unsure about going to university.

Her path took a different turn when an unexpected lucrative corporate sales job helped her fund a dream trip. She embarked on a year-long journey around the world with her trusty rucksack and scuba diving gear. She was blessed with many unique experiences including riding a 250cc motorbike around Laos, feeding sharks underwater, leaping out of aeroplanes and working on the Great Barrier Reef. On the 365th day, when her ticket was due to expire, she reluctantly boarded a flight home.

Her next chapter led her to teach English in Seoul, with short stints in Italy and Austria followed by four rewarding years teaching in Barcelona. But the call of further adventure beckoned. Leaving Barcelona, Julie’s qualification as a Dive Master led to a position on a new 110-metre super yacht. It was here that she met her future husband, Chris. Together they explored the world before eventually settling in Wendover with their daughter and two dogs.

Julie’s commitment to community took root following this move and in May 2021 she joined Wendover Parish Council, driven by her strong faith and an unwavering belief in fairness, accountability and honesty. She says she is dedicated to contributing to her community and helping to facilitate changes in the  world. In May 2023 she was elected Chair of WPC.

Julie firmly holds that we are all equal under the law, and what one can do, all can do. She believes that our sole obligation is to avoid knowingly causing harm to another individual and it is our moral obligation to do what is right, not what is easy. She has a passion for learning new skills and is always studying and researching new topics. While in Wendover she has gained her private pilot’s licence at RAF Halton, completed hypnotherapy training and nutrition qualifications. She says that every day she aims to be a better version of herself than the day before and to give back to the world that has been so generous to her.

Julie recharges through her beloved actions sports, which currently encompass skateboarding, stand-up paddle boarding and surfing. Additionally she enjoys relaxed dog walks in the Chilterns countryside.