The Judith Jane Mason & Harold Stannett Williams Memorial Foundation was established as a result of a generous donation in 2003 from Judith Jane Mason (nee Williams). She also made a number of top-up contributions during her lifetime.

The Foundation is named in honour of the benefactor and her father, Harold Stannett Williams, who Ms Mason described as “a most intelligent, wonderful and charitable man”. The memory of his personal generosity is enhanced through this Foundation, benefiting others in perpetuity.

The founder directed funds to support research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Alzhiemer’s, saying “as far as Alzheimer’s is concerned I cannot think of anything worse: to be alive but not having your brain working, to me this is terrifying.”

Throughout her lifetime, she suffered from ME/CFS, commenting “I don’t believe that many people understand how debilitating CFS is – in fact I believe some doctors even don’t believe in it”.

Judith Mason had the foresight to appoint Equity Trustees as the sole trustee of her Foundation during her lifetime and by doing this was able to actively shape her legacy and ensure her trustee understood well her philanthropic intent.

This has enabled a seamless transition in managing the Mason Foundation following Judith Mason’s death in November 2013.