275 years as your voice
Some sports personalities live in an autonomous bubble, wrapped up in their own considerations and oblivious to the ups and downs of the world.
No one will ever accuse Elaine Farquharson-Black of belonging to this company.
By contrast, the former professional golfer, captain of the Great Britain and Ireland team in the Curtis Cup against the United States in 2016 and 2018, has taken up duties in her hometown of Aberdeen and, among other things, is lately a wife. in Brodies, specialized in making laws of planes; Vice President of Aberdeen Inspired; and Director of Homes for Scotland.
Oh, and she has just become chair of the Aberdeen FC Community Trust, which runs many activities in the North East. It is a move that returns her to a position in which she once watched matches at Pittodrie in the heyday of the 1980s, when her father, Colin, was the Press’s sports editor.
However, it is in the past. Elaine, for her part, would like to talk about the offer and the future and why she is so committed to protecting the trust’s work.
She told me, “I know from personal experience that gambling is beneficial for physical and intellectual well-being. It helps increase confidence, resilience, responsibility, determination, problem-solving, and other life skills. “
“I love the way AFCCT uses sport, and football in particular, to inspire other young people to engage in education, helping them with numeracy, literacy and STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] subjects, as well as their physical education, social and emotional well-being.
“I have also participated in the memory teams that are part of the trust’s active ageing systems and which aim to combat social isolation, loneliness and build stronger relationships.
“So I’ve noticed and heard first-hand the transformative effects the trust’s education, football, fitness and wellbeing programmes are having on others of all ages in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Elaine Farquharson-Black is the first female captain in Deeside Golf Club’s 117-year history
“But what many other people probably don’t know is that the community center also runs Pittodrie Community Hub, which offers a safe and welcoming environment; hot meal; food packages and access to local recommendations and aid organizations for the many families in this area who suffer from poverty.
“In the last year alone, around 10,000 people have benefited from the work done through the Trust and we aim to expand our success so that more people and communities maximise their potential.
Elaine is well-versed in the sports, business and charitable sectors and obviously does not leave the burden of social duty to other organisations.
As we head into the festive season, she is determined to ensure that Aberdeen FC remains true to the philosophy of being a true networked club and that there is much more to it than just a club that only opens two or three games a week.
She said: “As accepted as true with the works at 27 area schools, we will be caught up in the same excitement as always in the run-up to Christmas.
“The team is helping to identify young people in schools who may not be experiencing the same kind of Christmas that many of us take for granted.
“Our staff and volunteers then work in partnership during the month of December with another great local charity, Northsound Cash for Kids Mission Christmas, to make sure those children receive plenty of gifts and enjoy a glorious Christmas morning.
“The Trust will also be hosting its annual festive luncheon in Pittodrie for our active senior organisation at which a choir from one of our number one schools will sing. We’ll also hand out hampers to those who can’t sign up for lunch.
“We need to make Christmas special for everyone in the community. “
It’s been many years since her proud father got in touch with The Scotsman sports in the 1980s and told us about his daughter’s latest exploits.
At the time, Elaine was competing in the Curtis Cup and was a member of the successful British and Irish team Royal Liverpool in 1992.
She also had the distinction of leading the team when they triumphed over their American rivals in 2016 at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club near Enniskerry in Ireland and the first female captain of Deeside GC in 2020.
Unsurprisingly, he has many fond memories of his childhood in Aberdeen. And the countless memories of him took us on a whirlwind down memory lane.
She said, “My memories come more commonly from scenes. My father, Colin, compiled the AFC fitness day calendar for 10 years in the 1970s and 1980s and presented the AFC fitness report on Scoreboard, the Saturday afternoon effects programme on BBC1.
“My parents also opened the first AFC merchandise store on Nelson Street, open on game days and some of my earliest memories are of players like Martin Buchan, Joe Harper and Drew Jarvie coming in after a game to sign autographs.
“My children’s paternal great-grandfather, Willie Mills, played for Aberdeen in the 1930s, so there is a family connection there too.
“Lately, I’ve been working with Aberdeen FC on their plans for a new net stadium and educational pitches. Cormack Park is a fabulous facility that is well utilized through networking and acceptance groups.
“I think having a new networked stadium would be a game-changer for trust in terms of being able to deliver more systems and succeed in more people, that’s probably what I’m most looking forward to.
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There are no melodies or grace with Elaine. She cares passionately about Aberdeen (the city and the club) and is precisely the type of user who is motivated to make a difference.
He added: “I was born and raised in Aberdeen and I still live and paint here. Some people know me as a golfer and others as a lawyer because I was lucky enough to combine the two careers.
She’s too modest. Luck was not the main factor in his success. We look elsewhere at attributes such as hard work, ambition, determination, and leadership.
She and accepting it as truth are perfectly fine.